Data centers consume large amounts of energy. In 2023, they consumed 4.4% of the nation’s electricity and that percentage is projected to double or triple by 2028, in part due to the proliferation of AI. Much of that power is used to operate computing equipment like servers but nearly half of it is used for cooling systems for the equipment.
The data center company TeraWulf has signed an 80-year lease for 183 acres that formerly was the site of a coal-fired power plant on the banks of Cayuga Lake in Lansing, New Year, a small town north of Ithaca.
Many town residents are worried that the data center will raise electricity costs, generate noise pollution, and drain water resources.
The proposed data center could ultimately consume as much as 16% of the generating capacity of the Robert Moses Niagara Hydroelectric Power Station, which is the largest power producer in New York and the second largest hydro plant in the country.
Hundreds of Lansing residents have submitted public comments raising possible issues that could arise from the data center. On the other hand, union members and some business leaders have voiced support for the center, citing prospects for new construction and maintenance jobs.
The former coal plant in Lansing has an existing water intake system from Lake Cayuga that could be used for cooling at the data center. At nearby Seneca Lake, there is a cryptocurrency mining center that also requires lots of water to cool computers. Such facilities suck up water from a lake and release it back into the lake at much higher temperatures.
The Lansing town board is still considering a moratorium that could derail TeraWulf’s plans.
