Lansing introduces data center ban amid shifting town board opinions
The Lansing Town Board voted 3-2 to introduce a local law that would effectively ban data centers, setting a public hearing and final vote for November. The proposal could block TeraWulf’s planned conversion of a former coal plant into a data center, while some board members now favor a temporary moratorium to study the project’s impacts.
The Town of Lansing introduced a proposed local law that would redefine data center-related land uses in the zoning code, effectively banning such facilities. The resolution passed 3-2 and will undergo review by the Lansing Planning Board and Tompkins County Planning Department before a public hearing on Nov. 17 and an expected final vote on Nov. 18.
The proposed ban could halt TeraWulf’s plan to convert a former coal-fired plant on Cayuga Lake into a 300-megawatt data center. TeraWulf CEO Paul Prager has urged the Town Board to allow the project to proceed and suggested the company could pursue legal action. Supporters of the ban cited concerns about noise, water quality and community impacts, while opponents argued the town should consider economic development, tax revenue and alternatives for the industrial site.
Board members Judy Drake and Christine Montague expressed reservations about immediately approving a ban and indicated that a moratorium could provide time for further study. Supervisor Ruth Groff and Deputy Supervisor Joe Wetmore continued to support restricting data center development, while residents and County Legislator Mike Sigler offered competing views on the proposal’s economic and procedural implications.