Cayuga Lake Residents Deliver Petition Against Proposed TeraWulf Data Center
A coalition of environmental organizations, No Data Center FLX, delivered a petition with over 17,000 signatures to the town of Lansing, New York, opposing TeraWulf's proposed 300 MW AI data center at the former Cayuga Power Plant. The group cites concerns over noise, utility costs, and environmental impact, while TeraWulf addresses an incomplete application and an ongoing lawsuit challenging a zoning decision.
No Data Center FLX, a coalition of environmental organizations including FLX Strong, Cayuga Lake Environmental Action Now, and Sustainable Finger Lakes, delivered a petition with over 20,000 signatures, including 17,000 from New York State residents, to the town of Lansing. The petition opposes TeraWulf's proposed 300 MW AI data center at the former Cayuga Power Plant on the eastern shore of Cayuga Lake.
Opponents, led by figures like Kenneth Wolkin of FLX Strong and Gay Nicholson of Sustainable Finger Lakes, voiced concerns about noise pollution, rising utility costs, degradation to the natural environment, and the project's impact on the Cayuga Lake watershed and the state's electric grid. They claim rising utility rates are partly due to the addition of massive new energy demands from AI hyperscale data centers.
Lansing Town Supervisor Ruth Groff acknowledged the petition but noted that the town has not received a complete application from TeraWulf, precluding an immediate response. TeraWulf Chief Strategy Officer Kerri Langlais stated the company is actively addressing requests from the planning board as part of the normal review process and believes the public review process is the appropriate forum for evaluating community concerns.
In April, the Department of Environmental Conservation approved a permit for Cayuga Operating Company, owned by TeraWulf CEO Paul Prager, to use over 1 million gallons of water daily from Cayuga Lake for data system maintenance, dust control, and sump pumping. TeraWulf, however, asserts its facility will use a closed-loop cooling system, sourcing water from Bolton Point and not discharging into Cayuga Lake. An Article 78 petition filed by FLX Strong and CLEAN challenging the Lansing Zoning Board of Appeal's December decision to allow the data center was greenlit by the New York State Supreme Court, with the case ongoing.