Residents discuss report disputing benefits of STAMP data center

Residents of Genesee County and the Tonawanda Seneca Nation are uniting in opposition to the STAMP (Western New York Science and Technology Advanced Manufacturing Park) data center complex proposed by developer Stream US Data Centers and its financial backer, Apollo Global Management. The project, being developed by the Genesee County Economic Development Center (GCEDC) in the town of Alabama, New York, faces community concerns over air and water pollution, noise, harm to wildlife, increased electricity rates, decreased property values, and a loss of rural lifestyle. A recent report by the Applied Economics Center, a non-profit consulting group, reviewed Stream's financial incentive applications and found discrepancies in the claimed benefits. The report highlights that Stream did not provide supporting materials for its cost-benefit analysis regarding impacts on tourism, utility bills, public health, infrastructure costs, or local disturbances. The expert analysis also indicated that Stream's job creation estimates significantly exceed publicly available data, projecting approximately 4,100 fewer direct temporary jobs and 1,300 fewer indirect temporary jobs than the company claims. Opponents accuse GCEDC and Stream of dismissing local fears and using