Auburn puts brakes on data centers, eyes NYSERDA grant for aging city buildings
The Auburn City Council unanimously passed a one-year moratorium on data storage facilities, citing the lack of specific code language to regulate them. This local action aligns with a statewide push for a moratorium on larger data centers, prompted by concerns over their electricity and water consumption. The city plans to use this period to develop appropriate zoning and land-use regulations while undergoing a comprehensive plan update.
The Auburn City Council unanimously enacted a one-year moratorium on new data storage facilities, effective immediately, citing the absence of specific code language to address or regulate such developments within the city. City Clerk Chuck Mason explained that the moratorium allows Auburn to proactively draft appropriate zoning and land-use regulations while the city undertakes a comprehensive plan update. This local action mirrors a broader initiative in New York State, where the legislature recently supported Governor Kathy Hochul's call for a statewide moratorium on larger data centers due to concerns about their significant electricity and water consumption. Mason emphasized that even facilities outside city limits could impact Auburn's water resources.
In a separate resolution, the council authorized an application for a NYSERDA "Building Cleaner Communities" grant. This funding aims to help offset the costs of replacing 25-year-old geothermal HVAC systems at Auburn City Hall, the police station, and the ambulance station, which are all nearly a century old. A bond ordinance for the project has already been approved. The grant seeks to support energy efficiency upgrades in municipal buildings.