UPDATE: County calls on state to reject water permit for AI data center

The Tompkins County legislature passed a resolution calling on state regulators to conduct a more thorough review of a proposed AI data center in Lansing. The project, led by TeraWulf, would be built in a decommissioned power plant and has faced criticism over potential impacts on water quality and energy prices. The resolution asks the state Department of Environmental Conservation to reject a water use permit renewal and instead require a new, more rigorous application process. However, the DEC claims the existing permit would actually reduce water withdrawals, though it has not received an application for the data center project itself. The resolution passed with nearly unanimous support from the county legislature, with concerns raised about transparency and accountability around the data center proposal.