Seneca Lake Guardian is organizing demonstrations in Penn Yan and urging supporters to attend upcoming meetings in Dresden and Watkins Glen as it presses local officials to restrict new and expanding data centers in the Finger Lakes.
The environmental organization’s latest appeal centers on the proposed transition of the former Greenidge cryptocurrency operation near Dresden into infrastructure serving artificial intelligence and high-performance computing. It also raises objections to discussion of nuclear energy as a potential source of electricity for large computing facilities.
The immediate schedule includes a sign-waving demonstration Saturday, a Torrey Town Board meeting Tuesday, Nov. 10, and an advanced energy discussion Thursday, Nov. 12, at Lakewood Vineyards.
The events serve different purposes. Seneca Lake Guardian is organizing the Penn Yan demonstrations and encouraging attendance at the other meetings. The Lakewood event is advertised as an educational discussion, while the organization wants Torrey officials to adopt a local moratorium.
Penn Yan demonstrations begin Saturday
The first gathering is scheduled for 3 p.m. Saturday at the downtown Penn Yan pocket park across from Long’s.
Seneca Lake Guardian said it hopes to have additional “No Data Center on Seneca” signs available and asked participants who already have signs to bring them.
The organization plans to continue the demonstrations on the first and third Saturdays of each month, with another gathering anticipated Nov. 21.
Supporters are being encouraged to wear red, which the organization describes as a color used by opponents of data center development.
The demonstrations are part of a broader campaign focused on potential effects on electricity demand, water resources, noise, air quality, tourism and the region’s agricultural economy. The group also questions whether permanent employment and tax benefits would justify the costs it fears surrounding communities could face.
Advocates seek a moratorium in Torrey
The next government meeting highlighted by the group is the Torrey Town Board’s session at 7:30 p.m. Tuesday, Nov. 10, at the town offices, 56 Geneva St. in Dresden.
The town’s meeting calendar lists Nov. 10 as the next board meeting, and its regular schedule calls for meetings on the second Tuesday of each month at 7:30 p.m.
Seneca Lake Guardian said a presentation would address concerns about AI data centers. The organization is encouraging residents to use public comment to request a moratorium on new or expanding cryptocurrency and data center operations.
It asks prospective attendees to contact info@senecalakeguardian.org beforehand so organizers can alert the town if a crowd may exceed the usual meeting space.
The group also is encouraging written comments to Town Clerk Betty Daggett at townclerk@townoftorrey.com. Supervisor Peter Martini’s publicly listed telephone number is 315-382-2419.
Torrey already has begun examining the issue. According to the board’s Oct. 13 minutes, a Planning Board committee is researching data center regulations and was expected to report on its progress the following month.
Those minutes also document questions to Greenidge/Vulcan representative Dale Irwin about electricity consumption, lake discharges and operations. Irwin told attendees the existing cryptocurrency/data center operation was using approximately 60 megawatts and that the plant employed 39 people.
A letter from state Environmental Conservation Commissioner Amanda Lefton, discussed at that meeting, said DEC had not received a new application related to changing the facility from cryptocurrency mining to other data center operations.
The organization’s request for a moratorium is a proposal it wants the town to pursue. It is separate from the committee’s work on possible regulations.
Vulcan’s plans bring electricity demand into focus
Greenidge Generation Holdings announced its corporate name change to Vulcan Infrastructure and Power in July, describing a strategic shift toward powered sites serving AI and high-performance computing.
In a company update earlier this year, Greenidge identified 60 megawatts of non-curtailable grid power at Dresden and said it had initiated a New York Independent System Operator study process to seek access to another 200 megawatts.
Entering that study process does not establish that the additional capacity has been approved.
Seneca Lake Guardian characterizes the potential expansion as a sharp increase in energy consumption and argues that residents need stronger protections before development advances. The company presents its existing power infrastructure as an opportunity to serve growing computing demand.
The debate has already reached Yates County lawmakers. As FingerLakes1 reported in August, residents raised concerns about electricity, noise and environmental effects, while a supporter argued that AI infrastructure could provide investment and economic opportunities.
State policy adds another layer. Gov. Kathy Hochul announced a temporary pause on certain state environmental permits for large data centers in July, while agencies develop standards addressing energy demand, water, air quality and community benefits.
That state process and a potential Torrey moratorium involve separate decisions. How individual projects are treated depends on their applications and the applicable requirements.
Lakewood forum will address advanced energy
The final event in Seneca Lake Guardian’s appeal is scheduled for 6 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 12, at Lakewood Vineyards in Watkins Glen.
The FLX Gateway event is titled “Advanced Energy: What It Is, Where It’s Going & Why It Matters.” Its announcement describes a discussion of advanced nuclear technology, community considerations and New York’s future energy needs. It specifically identifies the gathering as an educational discussion rather than a project announcement.
Seneca Lake Guardian is urging supporters to attend, wear red and question the relationship between data center development and potential nuclear generation. Its objections include construction costs, development timelines, safety and radioactive waste.
The group also says a previous presentation identified areas around Seneca and Cayuga lakes as potential locations for nuclear power. That description is the organization’s account of the presentation, rather than evidence of an approved reactor project.
On its Advanced Energy Information Center website, FLX Gateway says there is no proposed nuclear power plant project in Schuyler County. It describes advanced nuclear as one of several technologies it is examining and says its role is to help residents understand potential implications for reliability, costs and economic development.
The coming week will give residents opportunities to demonstrate, address town officials and question energy development arguments as the region considers how large computing facilities could fit into its future.
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