Genesee lawmakers should protect rural residents, landscape from large-scale solar, massive data center

Editor:

Thank you to the Genesee County legislative members who took time to meet with us several months ago regarding the proposed Stream data center project at STAMP. We appreciated the opportunity to discuss our concerns and wanted to follow up with additional perspective.

We have taken note of the Legislature’s strong and public opposition to large-scale industrial solar developments in our rural communities. We understand that many of you feel these projects are rapidly transforming agricultural land and altering the character of our region in ways that residents neither expected nor welcomed. On this issue, we agree.

We also recognize that the County has gone so far as to retain a lobbying and consulting firm, allocating significant taxpayer funds to oppose these industrial-scale solar projects and advocate for local interests. That level of commitment demonstrates that the Legislature understands the long-term consequences that large industrial developments can impose on rural communities.

We respectfully ask that you apply that same scrutiny and concern to the proposed Stream data center project.

While data centers and solar facilities may appear different on the surface, they share many of the same impacts that have led the Legislature to oppose large-scale solar development. Both involve the permanent industrialization of rural land, substantial construction disruption, habitat and hydrological impacts, heavy reliance on public infrastructure and emergency services, generous subsidies and tax incentives for multinational corporations, and minimal long-term employment opportunities relative to their scale.

Perhaps most importantly, both types of projects are being advanced rapidly, with limited transparency and growing public concern from residents who feel their communities are being fundamentally transformed without meaningful local benefit.

To help illustrate these parallels, we have attached a side-by-side comparison outlining the shared impacts and concerns associated with industrial solar facilities and hyperscale data centers.

We urge you to reconsider your position on the Stream data center project and evaluate it using the same standards you have applied to other industrial developments that threaten the rural character, environmental integrity, and long-term sustainability of our communities.

We appreciate your time and consideration and hope you will stand consistently in defense of the residents and landscapes you were elected to protect.

Sincerely,

Alyssa Beuler, Alabama

Kelly Hallenbeck, Bergen

Gina Schelemanow, Batavia

Richard Beatty, Batavia

RaeAnn Engler, Batavia

Liz Thompson, Batavia