The New York Power Authority has reversed an earlier decision regarding a potential Yahoo data center considered for the western part of the state. One of the points of contention has been Yahoo’s desire to acquire low cost hydropower from Niagara Falls for its new facility.
The new Yahoo data center could start building as early as fall 2009 and be completed in January 2011. The new east coast data center would mean 125 new high tech jobs and an average pay level of $65,000 per year.
New York’s Governor David Paterson and the New York Power Authority have agreed to sell Yahoo 10 MW of cheap hydropower for the initial phase of construction. In the second phase of construction of the $150 million data center starting in the Spring of 2012, Yahoo will be sold an additional 5 MW of hydropower.
Now, the California-based Yahoo has already taken measures to reduce its carbon footprint and has set up the Yahoo! Green page to help consumers do the same. With the addition of hydropower from New York, Yahoo is once again competing with Google on the green front as well as the search front.