In a recent interview with Rochester Beacon, Gay Nicholson, President of Sustainable Finger Lakes, discussed the organization’s concerns surrounding the proposed Lake Hawkeye AI data center in Lansing and the broader implications for New York communities.
The proposal has sparked significant public response, with more than 20,000 people signing a petition urging the Lansing Town Board to reject the project. As a member of FLX Strong, Nicholson highlighted one of the coalition’s primary concerns: the strain a large-scale AI data center could place on New York’s already aging electrical grid.
“Twenty-nine percent of (the fossil fuel generating plants) are over 50 years old, and 10% of them are over 70 years old, so they’re prone to break down. Of course, add in the problem of the storms, the more and more extreme weather taking down lines and putting pressure on the grid, or knocking out generation supply. It’s all a tricky, complex problem to solve. Hence, do not add any data centers to this already hairy situation.”
Nicholson also questioned whether the proposed facility aligns with Lansing’s zoning code, arguing that classifying a hyperscale AI data center as “general processing” stretches the original intent of the ordinance. She emphasized that a project of this scale deserves careful review due to its potential impacts on the local environment, economy, and surrounding communities.
Sustainable Finger Lakes has long worked to expand access to affordable energy efficiency programs and help households lower their energy costs. Therefore, it is important that any large-scale development should be evaluated not only for its economic promises, but also for its effects on energy affordability, community well-being, and the natural resources that make the Finger Lakes unique.
Read the full Rochester Beacon article here.
