Kenwood data center developers try to assuage community concerns
Developers for the proposed Kenwood data center in Albany, NY, are attempting to address community concerns regarding water usage, electricity consumption, and potential impacts on utility rates. While they state the project will use air cooling and have its own meter, an opposition group remains concerned about electricity use and environmental effects. Formal applications for zoning changes have not yet been submitted, and the project's online target is after a state-wide moratorium on large data centers expires.
Developers for the proposed Kenwood data center in southern Albany, led by EKG and its subsidiary Guild Ventures, recently met with approximately 75 residents and local officials at a Council of Albany Neighborhood Associations meeting. The developers aimed to allay community fears, emphasizing that the 250,000-square-foot facility would employ an air-cooling system, minimizing water usage, and utilize a separate utility meter to prevent spikes in local rates. They projected the creation of 300 housing units and 500 full-time equivalent jobs, including 125 to 175 direct data center positions, and stated that formal zoning applications are still weeks or months away.
Despite these assurances, opposition persists. Bryan Paz-Hernandez, co-facilitator of No Kings Collective Albany, expressed continued skepticism, particularly regarding the facility's eventual electricity consumption, which developers have yet to quantify, and the affordability of the proposed housing. Residents also raised questions about noise, vibrations, and the necessity of environmental studies.
The discussion also touched on broader regulatory developments. New York Governor Kathy Hochul has enacted an executive order pausing state environmental permits for data centers exceeding 50 megawatts until July 2027, though the Kenwood project's December 2028 online target falls outside this window. Developers expressed openness to including a decommissioning bond in the project's community rights agreement, a concept Governor Hochul has previously floated to ensure cleanup responsibilities for obsolete facilities.