County legislators sign letter urging Gov. Hochul to sign data center moratorium bill
Tompkins County legislators are urging New York Governor Kathy Hochul to sign a state bill imposing a one-year data center moratorium, arguing her executive order does not go far enough. This push is fueled by ongoing local opposition, including lawsuits, to TeraWulf's proposed data center in the Town of Lansing, which has raised significant environmental and energy consumption concerns.
Tompkins County officials are pressing New York Governor Kathy Hochul to enact a stricter, one-year moratorium on data center development, arguing that her recent executive order falls short. Nine members of the 16-seat Tompkins County Legislature signed a letter to Gov. Hochul, emphasizing their commitment to the data center issue ahead of the November elections. The legislators expressed skepticism about supporting the Governor's re-election campaign unless she signs the "Responsible Data Center Development Act," a bill that passed both houses of the state legislature in June but remains unsigned.
The executive order issued by Gov. Hochul last week implements a pause on state data center permitting and mandates an environmental impact study by the Department of Public Service. However, data center opponents, including the Tompkins County legislators, contend that this order contains too many exceptions, potentially allowing some data center construction to continue.
The debate holds particular relevance for Tompkins County due to local contention surrounding TeraWulf's proposed 150-megawatt data center in the Town of Lansing, on the shores of Cayuga Lake. This project has faced substantial community pushback since its announcement, leading to threats and actual lawsuits, as well as high public records request costs. Concerns cited by the legislators include the data center’s energy demands on an already strained power grid and its potential impact on recreational activities and the ecological health of Cayuga Lake.