Around 200 community members showed up for Friday’s press conference, organized by Sustainable Finger Lakes on behalf of the FLX Strong coalition, as part of the statewide ‘Stop Data Centers’ tour. This is led by State Senator Kristen Gonzalez, who introduced the bill (S.10642, the Responsible Data Center Development Act) and the environmental group Food…
As part of the Trump Administration’s support for developing Artificial Intelligence (AI) infrastructure and power generation, they have rolled out a new proposal that would allow companies to start building industrial facilities before receiving an air pollution control permit. This would contradict the Clean Air Act policy, where the law requires companies to refrain from…
Findings from the New York Independent System Operator’s (NYISO) report share five issues that emerge as the most prominent challenges facing New York’s power grid. In summary, the five issues are listed below: For more information and details of the key issues, and why upstate NY residents should care, read the staff report from Finger…
On Monday, June 8th, Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Lee Zeldin visited Binghamton to call for a rollback of the state’s ban on natural gas extraction, which includes fracking. This would push NY state to continue with the Constitution Pipeline project, a controversial 125-mile-long pipeline that would pass through Broome, Chenango, and Delaware counties. Zeldin’s visit…
EarthJustice responded to Hochul’s op-ed (Fitting NY’s climate goals to reality), in which she argues that common-sense updates to the Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act need to be made, in order to balance the line between protecting the planet while also lowering people’s energy bills. However, representatives at EarthJustice criticize that she is evading…
Robert Howarth, who is deeply involved in the environmental management and policy for communities at the state, national, and international levels, has called for a two-year moratorium on new nuclear power in New York State. He argues that the push for nuclear would go against the recommendations of the Climate Action Council and increase energy…
Shira Evergreen created a documentary video for the Regional Assessment and Barriers Analysis report from CCE Smart Energy Choices – Southern Tier, aka our Regional Clean Energy Hub. Check out the documentary here.
The Seneca County Board of Supervisors voted unanimously to join Tompkins County in asking the DEC to reject TeraWulf Inc.’s request to draw over a million gallons a day to cool its proposed AI data center facility. This would require the DEC to review the project plan and then reject or reprocess the permit as…
Seneca Meadows, the largest landfill in New York, remains open despite being slated to close at the end of last year. The landfill operator is also seeking to expand the site, which could keep it operating until 2040. While the expansion has not been approved, Seneca Meadows has resubmitted environmental impact statements, and the Department…
In an article from January 2026, the Board of Trustees of Wells College, a liberal arts college that closed in 2024 after 156 years of operation, agreed to sell the campus to the Hiawatha Institute for Indigenous Knowledge. The institute is a nonprofit organization focused on Native American history and education. Their plans are to…
Article from River Reporter By NEIL SELDMAN and YAYOI KOIZUMI NEW YORK STATE — The New York Packaging Reduction and Recycling Infrastructure Act (S7408/A8007), an extended producer responsibility (EPR) bill, is one of the most talked-about environmental bills in Albany this year. On paper, it aims to make corporations responsible for the packaging waste they…
Located in Yates County, along Seneca Lake, Anthony Road Wine Company has an ideal microclimate – cool temperatures in the summer and a few degrees above average temperature in the winter – for growing grapes. Their products depend on this delicate climate, and their mission of farming responsibly reflects that. To Anthony Road Wine Company,…
While much of the focus has been on the impact on SNAP benefits, the ongoing government shutdown is also affecting a program that hundreds of thousands of New Yorkers rely on to help heat their homes. The Home Energy Assistance Program, also known as HEAP, has had its application process delayed until further notice due…
You know those tough, tennis-ball-shaped fruits that litter your yard every year and you ignore? Those are Black Walnuts, and they play a much more important role in our environment than you expect. Black Walnuts are an important species native to New York State, and Black Squirrel Farm aims to keep them from going to…
The New Roots Charter School, founded on values of empowering and educating students on paths in social, economic, and ecological sustainability, is now expanding its operations to be a middle and high school starting this Fall. New Roots offers interdisciplinary coursework for eligible students from grades 6-12, featuring hands-on, community-based learning that gives students problem-solving…