Auburn to Vote on Support for Data Center Moratorium
The Auburn City Council is scheduled to vote on a resolution urging Governor Kathy Hochul to sign the Responsible Data Center Development Act, which proposes a one-year statewide moratorium on new data center construction. The resolution highlights concerns about rising electricity rates, significant water consumption, and environmental impacts associated with data centers. The act has already passed both houses of the state legislature.
The Auburn City Council is poised to vote on a resolution urging New York Governor Kathy Hochul to enact a one-year statewide moratorium on new data center construction. The proposed measure, known as the Responsible Data Center Development Act, has already passed both houses of the state legislature on June 4 and awaits the Governor's signature.
The resolution, which the Council is expected to consider on Thursday at 5:00 PM at City Hall, asserts that additional data centers would exacerbate a 43% increase in residential electricity rates New York has experienced between 2020 and 2025. Furthermore, it claims that these facilities consume vast quantities of water, generate substantial electronic waste, negatively affect the quality of life in host communities, and create minimal permanent employment opportunities. The act also mandates an analysis of the potential impacts data centers could have on public health, the environment, communities, and electricity ratepayers.