New York State Legislature passes data center moratorium amid Tonawanda project debate
An environmental group in Tonawanda, NY, marked five years since a coke plant demolition, while debate continues over a proposed data center at the site. The group advocates for a moratorium on data centers until environmental reviews are conducted. This comes as the state Legislature passed a one-year moratorium on data center projects, which now heads to the Governor's desk.
A local environmental group in the Town of Tonawanda, New York, recently commemorated five years since the smokestacks of the former Tonawanda Coke plant were demolished. This milestone serves as a backdrop to ongoing discussions regarding a proposal to construct a high-powered data center on the same site.
Riverview Innovation and Technology, the company behind the proposed project, invited media to the property to provide updates on cleanup efforts. Representatives from Citizens Science Community Resources, the environmental group that worked for two decades to close the coke plant, also attended the event. Jackie James of Citizens Science Community Resources stated that the group's board decided to support a moratorium on data centers until comprehensive environmental reviews can be conducted.
The push for a moratorium gained significant traction as the New York state Legislature passed a one-year moratorium on all data center projects during the final hours of its legislative session. This measure now awaits consideration and signature from Gov. Kathy Hochul, potentially impacting the Tonawanda project and others across the state.