A contested proposal to expand an artificial intelligence data center is set to take center stage in Orangetown, where town officials and residents are preparing for a public meeting on a plan that has divided the community. The gathering is expected to draw both supporters and critics as the town weighs the future of a facility that has become a local flashpoint.
At the heart of the debate is a proposal from the company Data Bank, which is seeking to expand its existing data center in the town. According to the plan, the company wants to add more than 146,000 square feet to the facility, a significant enlargement of an operation that already sits in the community.
The proposal is scheduled to be aired at a public meeting, giving residents a chance to weigh in before any decision is made. Opponents of the expansion have signaled they do not intend to stay quiet, and plan to rally outside town hall as the meeting gets underway.
Those against the project have raised a series of concerns about what a larger data center would mean for the area. According to opponents, the chief worries center on the facility's power demand, its potential draw on local water resources, and the broader impact that artificial intelligence could have on jobs.
Data Bank, for its part, has pushed back on those concerns. The company says the project will not strain the power grid, will not raise electric rates for local customers, and will not rely on local water supplies to operate, casting the expansion as one that can grow without burdening the community around it.
The competing claims set the stage for a charged meeting, which is scheduled to begin at 7 p.m. With residents on both sides expected to turn out, the session is likely to serve as an early test of how the town intends to balance the economic promise of the data center against the concerns of those who live nearby.