Video: Auburn City Council urges Gov. Kathy Hochul to sign data center moratorium
The Auburn City Council passed a resolution urging New York Governor Kathy Hochul to sign a state-level one-year moratorium on data centers. Council members also discussed implementing local ordinances, bans, or their own moratorium to protect local resources, particularly water, from data center impacts.
The Auburn City Council recently passed a resolution calling on Governor Kathy Hochul to sign a state legislative bill that would impose a one-year moratorium on data center development in New York. Council members expressed strong concerns about the potential negative impacts of data centers, citing difficulties in finding any positives associated with them.
During the council meeting, discussions extended beyond the state-level moratorium. Council members, including Councilman Cody, emphasized the need for local protective measures, suggesting that Auburn could implement its own ordinances, bans, or a local moratorium to safeguard the city, its water resources, and Cayuga County from the "fallout" of data center operations. Councilman Clark highlighted the importance of protecting the lake, which he described as the area's most valuable asset, and mentioned researching actions taken by other municipalities to protect water resources.
There was a consensus among the council members to take local action, even if Governor Hochul does not sign the state moratorium. Councilman Gel noted that the governor typically has ten days to sign or veto a bill once it reaches her desk, and indicated that the council could move forward with local measures immediately if necessary. Council members agreed that while they hoped the governor would sign the bipartisan state bill, local legislation, potentially involving zoning changes, outright bans, or addressing water treatment plant capacity, was a critical backup plan.