TOWN OF TONAWANDA, N.Y. (WKBW) — A proposed $2 billion artificial intelligence data center is drawing both optimism and concern as community members weigh what redevelopment of a long-contaminated property could mean for the Town of Tonawanda.
Developers are proposing a 500,000-square-foot AI data center on the 140-acre former Tonawnada Coke industrial site along River Road. The project, known as the Riverview Innovation & Technology Campus, would require about 300 megawatts of electricity and include a planned $50 million electrical substation.
For some residents, including former Town of Tonawanda engineer Jim Jones, the proposal raises questions about how redevelopment should happen at a site long associated with pollution.
"We have the Niagara River going through the Town of Tonawanda, but it's been blocked off by industries for generations, and we want to come back from that as healthy as we can," Jones said.
Jones, who serves as board chair of the Clean Air Coalition of Western New York, said he worries residents may not have enough input in a project of this scale.
"The people do not have a say in this, and I think with all the investment that's happening, and it's mostly your money and my money that's making this happen," Jones said. "We have no say in this."
WATCH: Proposed $2B AI data center at former industrial site raises questions in Town of Tonawnada
The Clean Air Coalition of Western New York is raising concerns about the potential impact large-scale data centers could have on energy consumption and costs.
"There's so many concerns that we have. Data centers are number one, like affecting our energy consumption and driving up energy prices," Bridge Rauch said, environmental justice organizer with the organization.
The coalition is also advocating for a three-year statewide moratorium on new data center permits, arguing communities need more time to evaluate potential impacts.
Among their concerns are energy demand, environmental oversight and electronic waste.
"We need to see what the plan is for e-waste," Rauch said. "These computers, they burn out. Is this just going to be adding to our hazardous waste?"
Town of Tonawanda Supervisor John Flynn said the project is currently under review by the New York Independent System Operator (NYISO), with no set timeline for next steps.
Riverview Innovation & Technology Campus says that construction is set to begin later this year, pending the results of an ongoing power system study.
The developers also pushed back on concerns about electricity costs, saying the facility’s continuous power use would prevent “stranded load” impacts that can affect rates, and arguing that the project would not increase electricity prices.
The proposed facility would use approximately 91% emission-free electricity due to its proximity to existing infrastructure powered largely by the Niagara Power Project and Nine Mile Point Nuclear Station.
The Clean Air Coalition is hosting a community meeting about the proposed data center on Wednesday at 5:30 p.m. at its Trinity Church office on Delaware Avenue.
