A data center battle unfolds 30 miles north of Manhattan
Residents in Orangeburg, Rockland County, are actively protesting a DataBank data center expansion, citing environmental concerns and its proximity to residential areas. This opposition is occurring despite a statewide moratorium by Gov. Kathy Hochul, as the project falls below the 50MW threshold. The town of Orangetown has since passed its own moratorium, though it exempts the DataBank project already in the approval process.
Residents of Orangeburg in Rockland County, approximately 30 miles north of Manhattan, are actively opposing a data center project being developed by DataBank. The project has sparked protests, including one held outside Orangetown Town Hall, with opponents citing significant environmental impacts, particularly concerns about its proximity to residential areas and Lake Tappan.
While New York Gov. Kathy Hochul announced a statewide moratorium on data centers consuming 50 megawatts or more, the DataBank project, which is planned to use 45 megawatts after an expansion, falls outside this executive order. In response to community pressure, the town of Orangetown recently passed its own data center moratorium, but controversially exempted the DataBank project due to its advanced stage in the approval process, leading to further outrage from residents.
Dave Rosen, co-founder of the Bi-State Datacenter Crisis Coalition NY/NJ, expressed strong opposition, while DataBank's Senior Vice President of Marketing, JP Laqueur, countered environmental claims, stating the facility does not use evaporative cooling or draw water from Lake Tappan. Opponents are now advocating for legislation sponsored by State Sen. Kristen Gonzalez that would impose a moratorium on data centers as small as 20 megawatts. The bill passed in June, but Gov. Hochul has until the end of the year to decide whether to sign it into law, making her a target for protesters.