Brookhaven hearing to ponder moratorium on plans for AI data centers until 2028

The Brookhaven Town Board in New York has unanimously voted to hold a public hearing in July to consider an 18-month moratorium on new applications for AI data centers. This decision stems from increasing community concerns regarding the significant energy demands these facilities would place on Long Island's power grid and their high water consumption from the region's sole-source aquifer. Supervisor Dan Panico highlighted the existing high electricity rates and the environmental impact on the aquifer as key worries.

The proposal follows widespread community opposition, including a flyer circulated on social media encouraging residents to attend a recent Town Board meeting to oppose a data center in Yaphank. While no formal application for an AI data center has been submitted to the town's planning board, WF Industrial XII, a Manhattan-based company, had previously submitted plans for a Yaphank data center to the New York Independent System Operator, which manages the state's electrical supply.

Residents attending the meeting voiced strong objections to AI data centers, citing concerns about water quality, consumption, and the capacity of local volunteer fire departments to handle potential fires. An online petition calling for a permanent ban on such developments in Brookhaven has already gathered nearly 5,200 signatures. The proposed moratorium aims to provide the town with time to coordinate a "regional response" with other Suffolk County townships and authorities like LIPA and the Suffolk County Water Authority, with a goal to avoid fragmented, detrimental approvals. Some community members, however, argue that an 18-month pause is insufficient and advocate for a permanent ban.