Nearly 500 N.Y. small business owners join calls for state data center moratorium
Nearly 500 small business owners in New York have sent a letter to Gov. Kathy Hochul, urging her to pass legislation that would enact a three-year moratorium on new data center construction. This follows a rally at the state Capitol where lawmakers and advocates pushed for the bill, citing concerns over environmental impacts, energy costs, and pollution.
Nearly 500 small business owners across New York state have collectively urged Governor Kathy Hochul to support legislation imposing a temporary three-year moratorium on new data center construction permits. The letter, signed by individuals such as Vinny Aliperti, co-owner of Billsboro Winery in Ontario County, highlights concerns about the negative impacts of a warming climate on industries, air, noise pollution, and rising energy costs.
This appeal follows a recent rally at the state Capitol where lawmakers and advocates championed the proposed legislation, which aims to allow the state Department of Environmental Conservation and the Public Service Commission to study the potential effects of data centers on local communities. Bradley Wells, senior project development manager for Stream Data Centers, which is developing an enterprise-class data center in Genesee County, responded to these concerns by advocating for projects to be judged on their individual merits, emphasizing that their facility has a low generator count to minimize emissions. The legislative session is set to conclude on June 4.