West Seneca adopts data center moratorium
The West Seneca Town Board unanimously approved a one-year moratorium on data center construction in the town. The moratorium applies to facilities using 20 megawatts or more and will allow officials to develop local zoning, operating, and other standards.
The West Seneca Town Board in Erie County, New York, voted 4-0 to impose a one-year moratorium on construction of data centers. The law applies to facilities of 20 megawatts or more and is scheduled to expire at the end of August 2027, though the town could extend it.
Supervisor Gary Dickson said the measure is intended to give the town time to study data centers and establish local standards before any project is proposed. Supporters cited concerns about electricity and water demand, noise, pollution, property values, and land impacts, while resident Andrew Ciepiela argued that the town should embrace AI-related development. The town’s threshold is stricter than New York’s statewide moratorium, which applies to data centers of at least 50 megawatts.