Massena Town Board approves escrow agreement for proposed data center
The Massena Town Board has approved a $100,000 escrow agreement to cover expenses for reviewing plans for a large-scale data center by NYDIG at the former Alcoa East site. This funding will support consultants in evaluating potential impacts such as energy, noise, and traffic, as part of the municipal approval process.
The Massena Town Board has approved a $100,000 escrow agreement to fund the town's expenses in reviewing plans for a proposed large-scale data center project. The agreement, as modified by Town Attorney Eric J. Gustafson, was passed following an executive session.
The project involves an expansion of a Bitcoin mining operation by New York Digital Investment Group (NYDIG), which is owned by Stone Ridge Asset Management and holds a stake in Coinmint. Lindsey Haubenreich, attorney for NYDIG, requested the escrow to ensure the town could hire consultants and cover legal fees for the review and building permit processes. This aims to address safety and other concerns without burdening town staff.
Town Supervisor Raymond Lancto acknowledged North Country Collocation Services, a former occupant and parent company of Coinmint, for being a positive community member. The Massena Planning Board, under Chairman Vance Fleury, compiled a list of issues for consultants to study using the escrow funds. These areas include energy impact, noise analysis, traffic impact, backup power, emergency response, fire protection, and the project's physical and economic impacts, to be assessed before the State Environmental Quality Review (SEQR) is presented.