Rally and protest of AI data centers planned for Aug. 24
Local activists and state officials held a press conference in Geneva, New York, to protest the expansion of Vulcan Infrastructure and Power's data center in Torrey, Yates County. They urged Governor Kathy Hochul to sign the Responsible Data Center Development Act, which proposes a one-year moratorium on large-scale data centers and stricter environmental and community benefit standards. Concerns center on the facility's energy and water consumption, carbon emissions, and its pivot from cryptomining to an AI data center.
Local activists and community leaders held a press conference in Geneva, New York, to highlight resistance to data center development, specifically targeting the Vulcan Infrastructure and Power facility in Torrey, Yates County. The event was part of a statewide "Stop Data Centers" tour led by State Senator Kristen Gonzalez and the environmental group Food & Water Watch, urging Governor Kathy Hochul to sign the Responsible Data Center Development Act.
Joseph Campbell, president of Seneca Lake Guardian, raised concerns about Vulcan Infrastructure and Power, formerly Greenidge Generation, planning to triple its energy consumption and transition to a hyperscale artificial intelligence data center. He noted that despite New York State denying Greenidge's air permit in 2022, a closed-door settlement in 2025 allowed operations to continue. The facility is permitted to withdraw up to 139 million gallons of water daily from Seneca Lake and has emitted significant carbon dioxide, raising environmental alarms for the Finger Lakes region.
State Senator Kristen Gonzalez, along with State Assembly member Anne Kelles, Yvonne Taylor of Seneca Lake Guardian, and Laura Shindell of Food & Water Watch, are among those expected to speak. The Responsible Data Center Development Act, which passed both chambers of the state legislature, proposes a one-year moratorium on hyperscale facilities over 20 megawatts and mandates energy-efficiency standards, host community public benefit programs, project labor agreements, and public hearings.
Although Governor Hochul signed Executive Order No. 62 establishing a temporary moratorium on large-scale data centers over 50 megawatts, opponents argue it has "significant gaps" compared to the proposed Act. Activists, including Yvonne Taylor, stressed that Governor Hochul must sign the Responsible Data Center Development Act to provide stronger statewide protections and ensure facilities like Greenidge do not escape scrutiny after the executive order's moratorium expires.