Perth declares data center moratorium as New York considers the same
The town of Perth, New York, has enacted a one-year moratorium on data center development to allow time for new regulations and a comprehensive plan. This decision reflects local concerns about data centers' resource consumption and low job creation. Concurrently, New York State is considering a statewide one-year moratorium on large data centers.
The Perth Town Board in New York unanimously approved a one-year moratorium on data centers, citing the need for time to develop appropriate regulations and update its comprehensive plan. The decision, supported by resident Theresa DaBiere-Craig, aims to allow the planning board to catch up with land-use regulations. Town Supervisor Greg Fagan noted that few communities have specific data center regulations, and the current moratorium is similar to one already in place for battery energy storage systems.
Fagan expressed concerns, echoed by county planners, about data centers consuming significant industrial space, water, and electricity while generating relatively few jobs. He mentioned hyper-sized facilities, much larger than existing data centers in the Capitol Region, as the primary worry. The current Tryon Technology Park, primarily zoned for business-technology, has about 100 acres left for development after a water-bottling plant is completed, and data centers are unlikely to be part of the desired high-tech, white-collar job focus.
Town Attorney Carmel Greco informed the board that New York State is also considering a statewide ban. State Senator Liz Krueger (D-Manhattan) and Assembly Member Anna Kelles (D-Ithaca) initially introduced a bill for a three-year moratorium. However, a new bill, S.10642/A.11560, is advancing, proposing a one-year moratorium on data centers larger than 20 megawatts.
Governor Kathy Hochul has indicated a preference for municipalities, like Perth, to make their own decisions regarding moratoriums. Although she has not explicitly stated a veto, reports from The New York Times suggest it remains a possibility for the statewide bill.