Data center proposal sparks backlash in East Fishkill
A proposal by Treetop Companies to build a 1-gigawatt data center in East Fishkill, NY, is facing significant community opposition due to concerns about energy consumption, noise, and environmental impacts. The East Fishkill Town Board has scheduled a public hearing to consider extending an existing industrial development moratorium to specifically include data centers. Residents and public officials are urging the town to halt new data center development, citing the immense power requirements and potential long-term implications for the area.
Treetop Companies, through its property owner Donovan Drive Holdings LLC, has notified the New York Independent System Operator (NYISO) of its intention to build a 1-gigawatt data center on 137 wooded acres in East Fishkill, New York. This proposal comes after initial plans for two warehouses on the site, which were met with opposition over potential impacts on wetlands. While no formal application for the data center has been filed with the town, its appearance on NYISO's interconnection queue has sparked significant concern among East Fishkill residents and local officials.
Residents, chanting "we can't drink data" and holding signs, rallied before a Town Board meeting to demand an extension of the existing industrial development moratorium to include data centers. Concerns center on the data center's estimated power consumption—equivalent to 800,000 homes—noise, and environmental impacts. East Fishkill Town Supervisor Nicholas D
Alessandro stated that the town informed the developer of insufficient power, requiring a new substation that is at least five years away. Food & Water Watch, a national environmental nonprofit, organized the rally and highlighted the "explosive growth of AI data centers" as a significant environmental and affordability threat.
State Assemblyman Anil Beephan Jr. and other attendees have called for a statewide moratorium, emphasizing the need for adequate energy infrastructure. An existing Change.org petition against the original warehouse plan has been updated to oppose the data center. The East Fishkill Town Board, on May 21, passed a resolution to hold a public hearing on June 25 to discuss extending the town's current industrial development moratorium—which expires June 30—for an additional seven months to specifically address data centers and revise zoning regulations.