New data center moratorium likely to delay $19B massive local project
Governor Kathy Hochul has enacted a one-year moratorium on large data center construction across New York state, impacting a proposed $19 billion Stream Data Centers project in Genesee County. The moratorium aims to allow time for the creation of new regulations to address concerns about energy needs and environmental impact. Local business leaders hope the project will proceed after the moratorium, while the Tonawanda Seneca Nation hopes it will be stopped permanently.
New York Governor Kathy Hochul has implemented a one-year moratorium on the construction of large data centers throughout the state. This executive order is expected to significantly impact a proposed $19 billion data center project by Stream Data Centers in Genesee County.
The moratorium aims to provide time for state authorities to develop new regulations concerning data centers, particularly addressing concerns about energy consumption and environmental impact. These issues were previously debated at public meetings in Genesee County, where residents and groups like the Tonawanda Seneca Nation expressed worries about increased utility bills, depleted water supplies, and noise pollution from such facilities. Grandal Logan of the Tonawanda Seneca Nation voiced hopes that the moratorium would not just pause but entirely halt the project, as the planned site abuts their territory.
Conversely, business leaders, including Joe Morelle Junior, expressed optimism that Governor Hochul's intention is not to kill the Stream Data Centers project but to balance economic development with environmental and technological needs. This moratorium, described as the first of its kind in the country, was enacted via executive order, despite the state legislature having previously passed its own, more restrictive moratorium. News 8 WROC reached out to Stream Data Centers for comment.