More than 17,000 New Yorkers signed a petition opposing a proposed TeraWulf artificial intelligence data center on the shores of Cayuga Lake, and organizers delivered that message directly to Lansing officials Wednesday evening.
Local residents and advocacy groups gathered outside Lansing Town Hall before the Town Board meeting, where they announced the petition’s submission and outlined concerns about the project’s environmental, economic and quality-of-life impacts.
The proposed development would bring a 300-megawatt AI data center to the former power plant site in Lansing. Opponents argued the project would require clearing more than 40 acres of forested land along Cayuga Lake, create significant construction-related noise, increase pressure on the electric grid and potentially affect nearby wetlands and wildlife habitat.
Organizers also raised concerns about water use, air quality and long-term operational impacts. They pointed to plans for using up to 700,000 gallons of lake water per day for cooling during hot weather and installing six diesel-powered backup generators at the site. Critics said those plans differed from earlier project descriptions and could increase environmental risks.
The petition effort was supported by several local organizations, including FLX Strong, Cayuga Lake Environmental Action Now, Sustainable Finger Lakes and No Data Center FLX. Speakers at the event included Kenneth Wolkin and Harold Mills of FLX Strong, John Dennis of CLEAN, Gay Nicholson of Sustainable Finger Lakes and Allison DeSario of No Data Center FLX.
Opponents also cited a recent study examining heat impacts associated with AI data centers and concerns raised by state grid operators about future electric system reliability as electricity demand continues to grow.
The proposed facility remains under review by the Town of Lansing Planning Board. Organizers said they would continue their opposition campaign with a larger public meeting and presentation scheduled for June 25 at the Unitarian Church in Ithaca.
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