State Sen. Kristen Gonzalez will hold a virtual event Tuesday to announce a 13-stop statewide tour focused on proposed artificial intelligence data centers and their effects on host communities.
The event is scheduled for 3:15 p.m. Aug. 11. The "NY Fights AI Data Centers" tour will run from Aug. 22 through 30 and visit sites with existing or proposed facilities across New York, according to organizers.
Gonzalez plans to use the tour to advocate for Gov. Kathy Hochul to sign the Responsible Data Center Development Act, identified in the advisory as S. 10642 and A. 11560.
Organizers said 38 large data center projects are in the New York Independent System Operator's interconnection queue. They estimated the projects would require more than 11,900 megawatts of new electricity demand if all were built.
The advisory said tour participants intend to raise concerns about utility costs, strain on the electric grid, water consumption, pollution, climate targets, noise and the number of permanent jobs created after construction.
Finger Lakes participants scheduled for Tuesday's announcement include Yvonne Taylor of Seneca Lake Guardian and Gay Nicholson of FLX Strong and Sustainable Finger Lakes.
Other speakers include Laura Shindell and Melissa Hoffman of Food & Water Watch, Bridge Rauch of the Clean Air Coalition of Western New York, Mark Dunlea of People of Albany United for Safe Energy and Johanna Bock of Citizens for Lysander.
The advisory did not identify the 13 tour locations or provide a stop-by-stop schedule.
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