TeraWulf takes Lansing to court over records requests as data center ban advances
TeraWulf has filed an Article 78 petition against the Town of Lansing, alleging mishandling of public-records requests and violations of open-meetings requirements. The legal dispute comes as Lansing considers zoning changes that would prohibit data centers and threaten TeraWulf's proposed Lake Hawkeye project at the former Cayuga coal plant.
TeraWulf, through its Lake Hawkeye subsidiary, petitioned Tompkins County Supreme Court to compel the Town of Lansing to provide records and to review alleged violations of New York's Open Meetings Law. Chief Strategy Officer Kerri Langlais said the company filed after exhausting the town's administrative process, while Lansing Supervisor Ruth Groff declined to comment.
The filing is separate from TeraWulf's objections to Lansing's proposed prohibition on data centers and cryptocurrency data mines. The Lansing Town Board plans to hear public comments on the zoning amendment at a Nov. 17 special meeting; the proposal would classify the uses as disallowed under the town code.
The Lake Hawkeye project also faces a challenge from FLX Strong and Cayuga Lake Environmental Action Now, which are contesting the Lansing Zoning Board of Appeals' interpretation allowing the project to be treated as general processing. The competing legal actions and proposed zoning ban could prevent the data center from advancing through local development review.