SCHUMER URGES VERIZON CEO TO CHOOSE NIAGARA COUNTY FOR NEW DATA CENTER; IN PERSONAL CALL, SENATOR OFFERS TO HELP CLEAR ANY REMAINING HURDLES
Proposed $4.5 Billion Effort Would Be Largest for County in Over 50 Years; Expected to Create 200 Jobs in First 5 Years with Average Salary of $85K
Town of Somerset Has Granted Zoning Permits, NYPA Has Agreed to Low-Cost Hydropower for 15 Years - In Call, Schumer Pledges to Work to Clear Any Final Hurdles
Schumer: Verizon Coming to Somerset Would be Game Changer for Region
Last week, U.S. Senator Charles E. Schumer announced that he has personally called Verizon CEO Ivan Seidenberg urging him to choose Somerset as a the new location for a Verizon Data Center and offering to assist in clearing any hurdles that would prevent Verizon from coming to Niagara County. The town of Somerset has already approved zoning permits for the project and the New York Power Authority (NYPA) has offered a package of low cost power for 15 years but hurdles still remain.
During today's calls Schumer pledged to work hand-in-hand with Verizon to cut through red tape and clear any obstacles that remain in the way of the $4.5 billion project. CEO Seidenberg said that while no final decision had been made Somerset has made a very strong application and is in the final running for the data center.
"Bringing Verizon to Niagara County would mean 200 jobs and billions of dollars in investment that would dramatically improve the region's economy, so we've got to pull out all the stops to make this happen," Schumer said. "Between Yahoo and Verizon, this region would be an industry leader and a magnet for other companies around the world looking to build cutting edge data centers. My conversation with Mr. Seidenberg was very positive, and I'm hopeful we will get this done."
For months, Verizon has been scouting locations for its new data center with Niagara County's Somerset being one of the top locations from the beginning. Now, the search is down to only a couple of locations across the country, and Somerset is still a strong contender. The project would bring $4.5 billion in the region over 10 years, create 200 jobs in the first five years and pay an average salary of $85,000 per year. The size and scope of the project would be a first of its kind in Niagara County since the Niagara Power Project was built 50 years ago. Already, the Somerset council has approved zoning permits and NYPA has offered a package of low cost hydropower for 15 years, although some issues do remain including sales and property tax costs.
Schumer personally made the case for moving the new data center to Somerset to Verizon's CEO Ivan Seidenberg. He talked about the region's world-class workforce and offered to work to clear any remaining hurdles so Somerset could be chosen and jobs and investment could begin. Seidenberg said that while no final decision had been made Somerset has made a very strong application and is in the final running for the data center.
Schumer added, "Everyone knows all about Western New York's climate, and now it can be famous for its compatibility with high tech industry."
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