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Pure Waters Supports Moratorium on Data Center Development

GENEVA, N.Y. – Greenidge Generation in Dresden has been pivoting from its Bitcoin mining business to an AI Data Center. Their transition involves a name change to Vulcan Infrastructure and Power (VIP). There has been pushback on Data Centers around the country and in NYS. Governor Hochul signed an Executive Order to establish a 1 Year Moratorium to give the State time to evaluate the local environmental and financial impact of a Data Center. The Moratorium places a hold on the DEC issuing permits needed for Data Center construction and operation. The State will develop a General Environmental Impact Statement over the next year to establish guardrails on Data Center development.

The Governor’s Moratorium does not impact VIP as they already hold DEC Permits for Water Withdrawal, Water Discharge, and Air Emissions. Their plan is to continue to burn approximately 6.9 billion cubic feet of fossil gas to generate 104 MW of electricity. VIP is turning to grid supplied electricity to build out the infrastructure of an AI Data Center. They have been approved by the Public Service Commission (PSC) for a 60 MW connection to the grid. They have also applied for a larger 200 MW connection to the grid. This will give VIP a total local capacity of 364 MW, much of which they hope to lease to AI companies.

The Town of Torrey has the ability to establish its own moratorium under NYS “Home Rule.” Establishing a moratorium will allow the Town to take advantage of the guardrails the Executive Order will provide. A data center is a different animal from the crypto business. Pure Waters has been following the transition, and there are many issues to be evaluated:

• How much more thermal discharge into the lake and noise will there be from 50,000 servers and an army of backup generators?
• How responsive will a global company like Amazon be to local issues if it is the lessee?
• How will 260 MW of new electrical capacity impact my electric bill?
• Who is assessing the environmental impact of the transition to a data center?
• How can Greenidge apply to the PSC for 60 MW of grid power for crypto, then have VIP use it for an AI data center?

These are issues Pure Waters believes need to be addressed factually, and a moratorium is warranted. Pure Waters plans to engage directly with the Torrey Town Board and Yates County on these issues.

In the meantime, Pure Waters is asking our members to consider signing the Seneca Lake Guardian Petition for Adoption of a Moratorium in the Town of Torrey.

Click here to access the Petition.

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Seneca Lake Pure Waters Association is a 501(c)(3) organization committed to preserving, protecting, and promoting the abundant resources of the largest Finger Lake. Seneca Lake is a source of drinking water, recreation, and economic opportunity for the greater community and its visitors. Our programs and partnerships make it possible to monitor water quality, educate the public, and evaluate threats to help ensure a healthy future for Seneca Lake and all who depend on it.