East Fishkill to pass moratorium on data centers as developers float possibility of project in town - News 12
East Fishkill is preparing to enact a three-year moratorium on new data center projects following a proposal by Treetop Companies to build a one-gigawatt AI data center. Residents and environmental activists are actively opposing the project, citing concerns over electricity and water usage. The town supervisor indicated current zoning doesn't allow standalone data centers and the moratorium will allow time to adjust local laws and await statewide regulations.
The town of East Fishkill, New York, is moving to pass a three-year moratorium on new data center projects. This action comes amidst concerns from residents and elected officials regarding a proposed one-gigawatt artificial intelligence data center by Treetop Companies.
Treetop Companies had made an inquiry to the New York Independent System Operator to assess the local power grid's capacity for such a large facility, sparking alarm among the community. Residents like James Quinlin voiced concerns over the significant electricity and water demands of AI data centers, supporting the early opposition efforts.
Town Supervisor Nicholas D'Alessandro affirmed that while developers are free to explore land uses, no formal application for the Treetop project has been submitted, and current zoning laws do not permit standalone data centers. The proposed moratorium aims to provide the town with time to revise its zoning laws and to align with potential statewide regulations on large data centers, which D'Alessandro believes have no future in the Hudson Valley due to space constraints. However, he also noted that smaller data center projects might still be considered in the future.
Neighbors and environmental activists held a protest outside town hall, advocating for the moratorium's passage. Lawmakers at both state and federal levels are also reportedly supporting similar restrictive measures.