The Long Island town of Brookhaven is expected to vote soon on a plan that would stop a new artificial intelligence data center from moving forward, at least for now. According to a News 12 New York report, town supervisor Dan Panico said he is confident the measure will pass when it comes before officials.
At the heart of the plan is a temporary ban on the project. The proposed moratorium would last a year and a half, giving the town a window to pause the development rather than allowing it to advance immediately while questions about the facility remain unresolved.
The idea of halting the data center was first brought up last month, after public pushback against the project. Residents' concerns helped put the proposal on the town's agenda, turning local opposition into a formal effort to keep the site from being built for the time being.
Since the issue surfaced, Panico said he has met with other supervisors as well as with PSEG Long Island and LIPA to talk through the plan. The involvement of the region's electric utilities underscores how questions around large data centers are closely tied to the power they would require.
According to the supervisor, the temporary ban, combined with the town's zoning rules, would stop an application to build the site from moving ahead. In effect, the measure would give Brookhaven a legal basis to keep the project on hold while officials weigh how to proceed.
Panico said he is confident the plan will be approved, and a vote on the measure is set for July. The outcome will determine whether the town formally puts the brakes on the proposed data center or allows the application process to continue.
For now, the project's future on Long Island hangs on that upcoming vote. The push to pause the data center reflects the concerns raised by residents in recent weeks, with town leaders moving to give themselves more time before any decision on the site is finalized.