Orangetown Data Center Expansion Sparks Protest Over Environment And Ai
Residents protested outside Orangetown Town Hall against DataBank's proposed data center expansion in Rockland County, raising concerns about environmental impacts, electricity demand, water usage, and potential job displacement by AI. They called for a moratorium on future growth. A planning board meeting on the proposal has been rescheduled for July 8.
Residents of Rockland County, New York, gathered outside Orangetown Town Hall to protest the proposed Phase 2 expansion of a DataBank data center. Chanting "We can't drink data," protesters voiced strong opposition to the development, citing a range of concerns including potential environmental impacts, increased electricity demand, and pressure on local water resources. They also raised fears about the future of jobs in the age of artificial intelligence, which is supported by large-scale data centers. Protesters specifically called for a moratorium on further data center growth in the area.
The protest occurred on Wednesday, ahead of a scheduled Orangetown Planning Board meeting that was intended to review DataBank's proposal. However, that meeting was canceled at DataBank's request and has since been rescheduled for July 8. This follows a previous, well-attended planning board session on March 25 where numerous residents had already expressed their disapproval of the project.
In response to earlier community feedback, DataBank had already made modifications to its Phase 2 plans, reducing the proposed wattage and eliminating a planned substation. Despite these adjustments, critics maintain that significant environmental concerns persist, and they worry about the potential for increased power demand to drive up local electric bills. News 12's attempts to reach DataBank for comment were unsuccessful.