Backstory: an Ithaca Voice podcast

Sept. 12, 2025 — An AI data center on Cayuga Lake


Listen Later

Listen and subscribe to Backstory on: Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Overcast, Amazon Music or wherever you get podcasts.

The artificial intelligence (AI) industry is growing … and so is the demand for the power-hungry banks of computers that power it.

Now there’s a plan to use the infrastructure in an old coal-fired power plant on Cayuga Lake to power a data center. TeraWulf, the main company behind the proposal, is touting the project as a greener way to power AI. Local officials and environmental advocates say they’re not so sure.

Other notes:

Transcript is auto-generated and may contain errors. Access it by clicking the transcript button on the embedded player.

This is the first time we've taken on a project like this and we want to know what you think. Fill out this survey or email audio(at)ithacavoice(dot)org. Thanks!

Original air date: Sept 12, 2025

Produced and hosted by Megan Zerez.

Reporting by Fernando Figueroa and Brian Crandall.

Cover photo by Casey Martin.

...more
View all episodesView all episodes
Download on the App Store

Backstory: an Ithaca Voice podcastBy The Ithaca Voice

  • 4.8
  • 4.8
  • 4.8
  • 4.8
  • 4.8

4.8

20 ratings


More shows like Backstory: an Ithaca Voice podcast

View all
This American Life by This American Life

This American Life

91,267 Listeners

Stuff You Should Know by iHeartPodcasts

Stuff You Should Know

78,707 Listeners

Fresh Air by NPR

Fresh Air

38,482 Listeners

Wait Wait... Don't Tell Me! by NPR

Wait Wait... Don't Tell Me!

38,943 Listeners

The Moth by The Moth

The Moth

27,053 Listeners

The NPR Politics Podcast by NPR

The NPR Politics Podcast

26,040 Listeners

Death, Sex & Money by Slate Podcasts

Death, Sex & Money

7,722 Listeners

Chapo Trap House by Chapo Trap House

Chapo Trap House

8,863 Listeners

The Daily by The New York Times

The Daily

113,446 Listeners

Up First from NPR by NPR

Up First from NPR

56,951 Listeners

Interesting Times with Ross Douthat by New York Times Opinion

Interesting Times with Ross Douthat

7,237 Listeners

Short Wave by NPR

Short Wave

6,584 Listeners

All-In with Chamath, Jason, Sacks & Friedberg by All-In Podcast, LLC

All-In with Chamath, Jason, Sacks & Friedberg

10,246 Listeners

The Ezra Klein Show by New York Times Opinion

The Ezra Klein Show

16,543 Listeners

If Books Could Kill by Michael Hobbes & Peter Shamshiri

If Books Could Kill

9,435 Listeners