New York Data Centers Face Scrutiny

Communities across upstate New York are evaluating proposed data centers as developers target former industrial sites, vacant properties, and other large parcels.

Local officials and residents are questioning the projects’ effects on zoning, electricity, water, wastewater, public health, and land use, while Onondaga County is funding a study and the state considers a one-year moratorium and broader regulatory framework. The decisions could shape where facilities are built, how quickly projects advance, and how infrastructure costs and impacts are assigned.