Client: Tonawanda Seneca Nation and Sierra Club Niagara Group
Author: Bryndis Woods, PhD
April 2026
In January 2026, STREAM U.S. Data Centers, LLC (STREAM) applied to the Genesee County Economic Development Center to construct a 2.2 million square-foot data center campus in the Town of Alabama, New York, located in Genesee County. On behalf of Tonawanda Seneca Nation and Sierra Club Niagara Group, Senior Analyst Dr. Bryndis Woods drafted comments that address STREAM’s proposed data center, including its claimed costs and benefits for the local community. STREAM does not provide any supporting materials for its cost-benefit analysis (CBA), which fails to meet standards expected in a public decision-making process and is insufficient to determine whether the proposed project would provide net benefits for the local community.
Other key findings include:
The project would require electric capacity that is about four times the total capacity currently operating in Genesee County.
STREAM’s CBA results differ substantially from one CBA to the next.
STREAM has failed to address numerous potential costs associated with the project.
STREAM’s job creation estimates exceed values found in publicly available data and information.
STREAM has requested tax abatements that are worth 25 times more than the benefits provided by the proposed PILOT/Host payments.
Valuing data centers is challenging and complex.
STREAM’s proposed data center may negatively impact local tourism and recreation, which are an integral part of the community and economy.
Errata:
On page 12 of the comments, it states that: "Empire State Development of New York State’s 2024 Tourism Economics Report found that, in Genesee County, visitors spent $144.5 million in 2024, generating about $331.1 million in direct personal income for county residents, creating about 11,000 direct jobs and about 5,000 indirect jobs, and generating $8.8 million in local tax revenue—equal to $665 in tax savings per household." This should read: "Empire State Development of New York State’s 2024 Tourism Economics Report found that, in Genesee County, visitors spent $144.5 million in 2024, generating about $46.8 million in direct personal income for county residents, creating 1,850 direct jobs and generating $8.8 million in local tax revenue—equal to $665 in tax savings per household."