Hudson Valley residents dissatisfied with data center moratorium
The Orangetown Town Board in New York passed a six-month moratorium on new data center and battery storage projects. However, residents are dissatisfied as the moratorium does not apply to DataBank's proposed second data center, which is already before the planning board. Concerns include environmental impact on wetlands and a drinking water reservoir, as well as increased electricity demand.
The Orangetown Town Board in a Hudson Valley community has enacted a six-month moratorium on new data center and battery storage systems projects. Despite the approval, residents voiced strong dissatisfaction because the new moratorium will not apply to DataBank's plans for a second data center, which is currently pending before the planning board.
Matt Heinlen, a resident from neighboring Old Tappan, New Jersey, expressed concerns about the expansion's proximity to a drinking water reservoir, residents, class one and two wetlands, and its significant power demands on the existing grid. A Draft Environmental Impact Statement for the project indicates the removal of 0.1 acres of wetlands and 2 acres of forest, as well as potential impacts on protected and endangered species. The second data center would increase the facility's total power demand by 50%.
Orangetown Supervisor Teresa Kenny defended the moratorium, clarifying that it is intended for other potential data centers seeking to establish themselves in Orangetown due to existing infrastructure, not solely DataBank. DataBank did not provide immediate comment on the matter.