The Lake Mariner data center, a $3.2 billion facility in Somerset, New York, faced a fire in early June. Responding firefighters reported that the alarm system was disabled, the fire suppression system was non-functional, and three hydrants were dry. Essential chemical safety documentation was destroyed during the incident.
The facility, located on a former coal mine site, consumes up to 500 MW of power. The site involves a complex corporate structure: TeraWulf owns and operates the campus, while renting land from a firm owned by its own CEO. Fluidstack acts as the operator, Google holds warrants for 14 percent of shares and guarantees lease payments, and Anthropic leases computing capacity.
Two months after the fire, local fire chief Steve Mathis confirmed that the hydrants remained dry. While TeraWulf claims to have installed Knox boxes with keys and emergency documentation, local officials report that the company ignores requests for meetings. Residents have also complained about constant noise from the equipment.
Economic and environmental concerns persist regarding the project. Originally promised in 2019 to provide 165 permanent jobs and $85 million in investment, the facility now employs only 35–40 people. Consequently, New York Governor Kathy Hochul has imposed a moratorium on hyperscale data centers, citing a lack of significant long-term job creation.
Transparency regarding energy consumption is also under scrutiny. TeraWulf adjusted its claim of using 95 percent carbon-free energy down to 91 percent, admitting it relies on regional grid averages rather than purchasing renewable energy certificates. Anthropic has pledged to cover electricity price increases, but lacks mechanisms to verify environmental compliance at the site.
