BUFFALO, N.Y. (WKBW) — A group of Buffalo-area advocates is pushing for Gov. Kathy Hochul to sign legislation that would pause new data center permits statewide, but a data center has already been operating in a Buffalo neighborhood since 2021.
The facility is located at the former American Axle site at 1001 East Delavan Avenue. It has been operating since 2021, with fans whirring 24/7 to cool the servers inside.
Cindy Stroud grew up in the neighborhood surrounding the site.
"It is loud, it is toxic, it is not healthy for our community," Stroud said.
It was a General Motors manufacturing plant before American Axle acquired the site. The plant closed in 2007. The site has since faced environmental scrutiny over legacy industrial contamination, including toxic PCBs detected in soil.
"We would like for it to be remediated, we would like for the noise to be gone, we would like to live somewhere where we can be proud of our neighborhood," Stroud said.
WATCH: Concerns remain over data center in Buffalo as advocates push for statewide regulations
Stroud was among several local advocates who gathered this past weekend, calling on Hochul to sign the Responsible Data Center Development Act, which has already passed the state Senate. The legislation would place a one-year pause on issuing permits for new data centers while the impacts of existing sites are studied.
Executive Director of the Clean Air Coalition of Western New York, Chris Murawski, pointed to noise and energy consumption as key concerns. He said the 19MW Buffalo data center can power approximately 15,000 homes.
"So that's a lot of energy use; it's gonna cause our electric bills to go up," Murawski said.
The East Delavan Avenue site is owned by Jon M. Williams, a local businessman who also owns the former Tonawanda Coke property, which is also earmarked for AI data center redevelopment.
Williams is a prominent figure in the Buffalo area, having founded company OSC Inc., which specializes in environmental remediation and redevelopment of former industrial sites. He is CEO at Viridi Parente, a battery storage company also based at the East Delavan property. Williams has donated to the campaign committees of multiple local elected officials over the years, including Sean Ryan, when Ryan served in the state legislature.
Now Buffalo mayor, Ryan joined advocates over the weekend in support of the Responsible Data Center Development Act.
Ryan provided the following statement to 7 News on Tuesday:
"The rapid growth of large data centers raises legitimate questions about their impact on the communities where they operate. Before we move forward with additional development, we need to understand the full picture — including the effects on our electrical grid, water system, utility costs, local jobs and revenue, and the health and quality of life of nearby residents.
"I support the Responsible Data Center Development Act because we need a thoughtful statewide approach that considers the total impact of these facilities and establishes clear standards for responsible development. Data centers must be developed and operated responsibly, sustainably and transparently, with the interests of the surrounding community coming first."
