STAFF REPORTNorth Country This Week

MASSENA — The Massena Town Board voted 3-2 Wednesday night against a proposed six-month moratorium on new data centers.

It’s a debate that’s waged in St. Lawrence County for months, with dozens of people attending various meetings in Massena. On Monday, though, the town made its decision.

Town Supervisor Raymond Lancto and board member Kristy Baker voted for the moratorium. The other three board members voted against it.

The vote clears the way for the town to keep working toward a proposed data center near the former Alcoa East plant.

The project is being proposed by NCCS. The company says its plans are not covered by the state's current moratorium on certain large data centers because the project does not need additional discretionary permits from the state Department of Environmental Conservation.

The proposed data center would use about 400 megawatts of electricity from the New York Power Authority. NCCS also says the facility would use a closed-loop cooling system that would use much less water than other types of cooling systems.

The project has drawn strong reactions from both supporters and opponents.

Residents who spoke at Wednesday night's public hearing raised concerns about the amount of electricity and water a data center could use. Some also questioned the environmental impact of the project and the growth of artificial intelligence.

Some local business owners opposed the moratorium because they said it could make developers less interested in investing in Massena.

Supporters of the data center have focused on the potential for new jobs and additional money coming into the community. Some argued that stalling the project would be a lost opportunity.

The vote does not mean construction can begin right away.  However, it does create a path forward for the project as there will be no six-month pause on data center development in Massena.