Portland, New York, Debates Proposed Data Center Amid Local Opposition and State Moratorium
The Portland, NY Town Board's support for a proposed data center on the former Sugar Hill Golf Course site has ignited strong local opposition, including petitions and a social media group. This local debate mirrors a national trend of communities grappling with the energy and water demands of rapidly expanding data center developments. A state-wide moratorium is currently in effect in New York.
The Portland, New York, Town Board, led by Supervisor Rich Lewis, has faced significant backlash after passing a resolution in March expressing support for a proposed data center at the former Sugar Hill Golf Course. Residents quickly mobilized opposition, launching an online petition and a Facebook group, "Grape Belt Community Group," to protest the plan. This local contention highlights a growing national dilemma as communities weigh the economic benefits of data centers against their substantial demands on public infrastructure, particularly energy and water resources.
The article notes that New York currently has a one-year moratorium on new data center developments. Despite this, northern Chautauqua County, with its access to water and potential sites like a former power station in Dunkirk and the Eagle Bay property in Sheridan, is considered ripe for future possibilities. The broader context of this debate is underscored by a May policy brief from The Rockefeller Institute of Government, titled "Clouds, Cables, and Megawatts: States and Localities Grapple with the Data Center Boom." Authored by Policy Analyst Mathilda Scott, the report details the rapid increase in data center proposals and the varied governmental responses to their energy and water consumption.
The Rockefeller Institute report estimates that data centers consumed 4.4% of total US electricity in 2023, potentially rising to 6.7-12% by 2028. Hyperscale data centers, in particular, can consume as much energy as 81,000 homes annually and use 5 million gallons of water daily. The report also links data center concentrations to higher utility bill increases for residents in states like Virginia and Illinois. The Wall Street Journal recently highlighted the contrasting experiences of Virginia's Loudoun County, which reaps significant tax revenue from data centers, and Prince William County, which lost a potential project due to local debate.