Simpson voices opposition to 'Responsible Data Center Development Act'

ALBANY | Assemblyman Matt Simpson (R,C-Adirondack) voted down the "Responsible Data Center Development Act" calling it a dangerous expansion of the failed Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act (CLCPA) agenda that prioritizes wind and solar mandates at the expense of reliable, diverse energy sources and local control. "This bill is a Trojan horse designed to grow the CLCPA's attack on every form of energy that isn't wind and solar," said Simpson. "While it claims to address concerns about data centers, it actually demands the massive expansion of solar energy projects that will only further jeopardize our green spaces, forests and farmland across the North Country and the Adirondacks. New Yorkers need an honest 'all of the above' energy strategy. This effectively limits our energy diversity and shuts out nuclear and natural gas as viable options." Simpson said the bill imposes aggressive renewable procurement requirements on large data centers while doing nothing to restore or strengthen community veto power. Instead, when paired with the existing Office of Renewable Energy Siting and Renewable Action through Project Interconnection and Deployment Act frameworks, it continues the dangerous centralization of decisions in Albany, allowing state bureaucrats to steamroll local voices on siting issues. "Communities in the North Country don't want massive data centers, but we also don't want clear-cut forests, prime farmland covered in solar panels or new transmission lines forced on us without real input," Simpson continued. "This legislation further limits our ability to decide what happens in our own backyards. It benefits multinational corporations and Albany insiders far more than the hard-working families and stakeholders in our rural communities." For instance, a single 125-megawatt data center that sources at least 90% of its electricity from renewable energy systems under this bill by 2040 would require 1,000s of acres of land. Using conservative estimates of 7 acres per megawatt, meeting that requirement with solar alone would demand approximately 875 acres of land just for the panels. When factoring in real-world needs for battery storage, substations, setbacks and transmission lines to deliver reliable 24/7 power, the actual footprint could easily exceed 2,000 acres of cleared forest or converted farmland in the North Country.

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Simpson voices opposition to 'Responsible Data Center Development Act'

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