Things Clean Air is Keeping Tabs on in 2026
Happy new year! Last year was an intense time, and we navigated through some extremely rocky storms – unfortunately, we’re expecting more stormy seas ahead in 2026.
Here are a few topics we’re keeping tabs on as we enter this new year –
Data Center Boom and the AI bubble
- We expect to continue to see data centers, a largely unregulated industrial sector, continue to be an issue in 2026, with a growing trend in upstate of mostly speculative data center project developers transitioning from plans for cryptocurrency mining to leasing to Artificial Intelligence developers, with only a few developer plans actually leading to shovels in the ground (but causing spikes in energy costs as NYISO reports these proposals as future energy demand), and those few that do get built causing significant environmental justice concerns.
- We urge following developments at STAMP, the Riverview Innovation and Tech Campus (former Tonawanda Coke site), at the TESLA plant, and, of course, at the Fortistar plant in North Tonawanda. Clean Air is part of a growing statewide alliance that is developing regulations and other policies that we hope to see implemented at the local and state level this year.
- We also urge keeping an eye on the market this year, and how it could affect you personally, especially if you are a retiree who depends on your investments for your income. The economy is currently in an artificial economic bubble due to the massive investments in AI development and data center industrial developments, and there are strong warning signs on the horizon that a significant economic downturn is coming our way. Without pre-emptive policy to head this downtown off, it’s not a matter of if, but when, and our current elected leadership in DC is more interested in inflating this bubble rather than taking those actions. This could be a limited downturn, like the one following the dot.com bubble, or it could be a far broader reaching one, like the 2008 housing crash.
Migrant Justice Intersections
- Clean Air is keeping an eye out for any proposed large warehouse developments, or for lease contracts from Department of Homeland Security agencies, as well as urging local governments to consider utilizing zoning code violations by ICE and CBP detaining migrants in our community. We also urge local governments to pass resolutions in favor of the NY For All Act and examine any potential collaborative actions by local police with deportation actions. New York City recently passed a resolution which can be used as a model.
State Regulatory Overlooks
- As we have come to learn in recent years, neoliberal austerity policies at the state level have left our state regulatory oversight very frayed, with some air permits “SAPA-extended” for a decade or more (ie, these permits were supposed to be renewed over a decade ago, and these plants continue to operate on these older permits while the DEC catches up on paperwork.) This has led to some alarming stories in recent years, and we will certainly continue to track this issue as well as support efforts to address this backlog in 2026.
New Elected Leadership, New Possibilities
- Similar to peers downstate excited by the new Mamdani administration, we are excited by the newly inaugurated elected leadership throughout our region, particularly the progressive shifts in the Tonawandas, in Cheektowaga, and, of course, in the City of Buffalo. After years of stagnation, we expect 2026 will see some rapid changes and, while we do not expect that every fight for progressive policy will be won in 2026, we look forward to celebrating some big wins. Check out our memo that we sent to Mayor Sean Ryan’s transition team shortly after the election for some policies we hope to see adopted during his term!
Petrochemical Fascism Dying but Dangerous
- As we grimly were aware at the end of 2024, we knew we would see some setbacks in 2025, particularly in the movement for a Just Transition away from petrochemical reliance and towards an equitable and green economy. Indeed, we saw a resurgence last year not only in oil and gas, but also setbacks in wind and solar, and even saw the federal government intervene to keep coal power plants that were slated for closure after years of phase down on life support at a cost of millions of dollars to taxpayers and ratepayers. 2026 has already started off with a shockingly grim note, with the US government invading Venezuela to conduct a coup and pull us into yet another war for oil, as the President admitted openly. Clearly, while a transition away from oil, gas, coal and petrochemicals is inevitable, it will require a greater fight than expected, and will also require directly tackling the fight against fascism, bigotry, imperialism, and authoritarianism, which are all intertwined.
- This is especially disturbing given the larger existential crisis that climate change presents, and the news that we are not only rapidly approaching several tipping points, but have already passed at least one. We are rapidly running out of road to prevent catastrophe.
- However, there were still some wins in 2025 that we hope to build off of. Notably, the “Big Beautiful Bill”/”Billionaire Bailout Bill” did not revoke tax credits or subsidies for thermal energy projects, like geothermal or thermal energy networks, nor did it revoke credits or subsidies for utility-scale battery storage projects, which will be crucial for the transition to renewable energy for grid reliability. We are especially excited by the potential for TENs as a just transition solution, as the work involves with building a TEN in a neighborhood shares many of the skills that building a gas pipeline network does.
Organizing Levels Up
- There are more people today interested in resisting the MAGA agenda than there were a year ago, and we hope that in 2026 this will manifest in people finding an organizing home, whether that’s with Clean Air or with any number of our peer organizations.
- Each and every one of us are superheroes in our own way, but even superheroes fight as a team – and with practiced tactics, not just throwing themselves into the melee. Too often, people who want to fight for justice wind up repeating the same mistakes, and commit to show up for protests but not for the longer campaign.
- We hope that in 2026 there will be a shift towards building a collective movement built across demographic and policy lines, rather than following charismatic self-described leaders, and towards winning longstanding policy campaigns rather than protesting after harms have been inflicted – the growing movement for May Day 2028 is a key opportunity for Western New York to engage in mass movement and solidarity oriented organizing.
- With that said, we urge signing up for the Midwest Academy 1-day training on Saturday January 24 in Buffalo – click here to sign up, and please share this link widely with friends, family and colleagues!
December 2025-January 2026 Monthly Updates: Come Learn the Midwest Organizing Model on Saturday January 24!
Click here to subscribe to our monthly e-newsletter, and view this month’s edition by clicking the “More” link just below.
Sign up for the Midwest Academy 1-day class on January 24 today!
We are bringing the Midwest Academy to Buffalo on Saturday January 24 from 10am-3pm at School 77, 429 Plymouth Ave in Buffalo! Sign up today at this link, and please share it widely among your peers – https://actionnetwork.org/events/midwest-academy-buffalo-hub-1-day-training-saturday-january-24/
We are aiming for 125 participants so we need your help to get the word out!
This will be a fast paced and participatory class which will walk through the full Midwest framework on how to run and win an advocacy campaign, and is an essential training for organizers who are serious about policy change.
Data Center Teach-in with Clean Air WNY, North Tonawanda residents, the Allies of the Tonawanda-Seneca Nation, and NYC DSA
On Monday November 24, Clean Air co-hosted a teach-in on data centers and related environmental justice concerns in Upstate NY and the Tonawanda Seneca Nation with Clean Air members from North Tonawanda, the Allies of the Tonawanda Seneca Nation, and NYC-DSA’s Tech Action Working Group.
Here is the recording, as well as related resources that the participating organizations shared. Clean Air will add links referenced in our presentation and links shared in the Zoom chat early next week.
If you are interested in joining Clean Air’s work fighting to regulate data centers in WNY, please reach out to Bridge.
Resources
Previous blog post on plans for a data center at the former Tonawanda Coke site
We want renewable power, not data centers, at Tonawanda Coke!
- Join our signon letter telling Stream and Apollo to GO AWAY and DON’T COME BACK.
- Tell Gov Hochul: No new NYS funds or permits to STAMP!
- Support Sierra Club’s litigation fund.
More Info on DbA and DbC from North Tonawanda resident Jack Kanack and his consulting service Weather Medic.
There are different types of weighting filters and I will talk about the most common ones in use today, they are dbA and dbC.
The purposes of the filters are to match the human ears frequency response at different sound intensities.
Now clearly humans here do not have a flat frequency response they have a non-linear frequency response.
Let’s understand the frequency response of a human before diving into the filters topic.
The consequence of a non-linear frequency response at different frequency levels is that you don’t hear different frequencies as well as other frequencies so the consequence is that not all frequencies of equal sound, sound equally loud to humans. What it means is you know if all the frequencies from 20 hertz 20 kilohertz are being played at the same amount of amplitude or same loudness they’re all not going to sound equally loud; some of them may sound too loud, some sounds may sound bright, some sounds may sound dull for the human ear some of them might sound too feeble and that’s the result of a non-linear human frequency response to sound. That is because the human ear is most sensitive in the range of 2000 to 5000 hertz, that is the range where we pick up sounds easily. But outside of the range it might be a little difficult now the hearing sensitivity also drops down toward the lower and the higher so we’re not able to hear all the lowest bass or the highest treble.
The first research on the topic of how the ear hears different frequencies at different levels was conducted by Fletcher and Munson in 1933. Until recently, it was common to see the term Fletcher–Munson used to refer to equal-loudness contours generally, even though a re-determination was carried out by Robinson and Dadson in 1956, which became the basis for an ISO 226 standard. ISO stands for International Organization for Standardization, which are based on a review of modern determinations made in various countries.
Fletcher and Munson first measured equal-loudness contours using headphones in 1933. In their study, test subjects listened to pure tones at various frequencies and over 10 dB increments in stimulus intensity. For each frequency and intensity, the listener also listened to a reference tone at 1000 Hz. Fletcher and Munson adjusted the reference tone until the listener perceived that it had the same loudness as the test tone. Loudness, being a psychological quantity, is difficult to measure, so Fletcher and Munson averaged their results over many test subjects to derive reasonable averages. The lowest equal-loudness contour represents the quietest audible tone—the absolute threshold of hearing – dashed green line. The highest contour is the threshold of pain.
Churcher and King carried out a second determination in 1937, but their results and Fletcher and Munson’s showed considerable discrepancies over parts of the auditory diagram.
In 1956 Robinson and Dadson produced a new experimental determination that they believed was more accurate. It became the basis for a standard (ISO 226) that was considered definitive until 2003, when ISO revised the standard on the basis of recent assessments by research groups worldwide.
The NT city code for noise was last updated in 1988 and does not reflect this new standard, however the noise meters used to measure the sound do reflect this new standard.
The generic term equal-loudness contours is now preferred, of which the Fletcher–Munson curves are now a sub-set, and especially since a 2003 survey by ISO redefined the curves in a new standard.
The key things to take away from here is that in the bandwidth of two thousand to five thousand hertz we do observe that the curve drops down whereas in every other case it just shoots up which proves that human ear responds to frequencies heavily in the 2000 to 5000 range and poor in the treble and very poor toward the base.
However at very high decibel readings the curve flattens out and becomes more linear as at very high decibel readings, humans can hear the low frequency sound almost as well as the other frequencies.
In order to overcome those limitations, these dbA and dbC filters were developed.
Let’s dive into the difference between dB(A) and dB(C) when measuring sound.
They filter out certain frequencies to show how sound is as a human would perceive the sound, and your current noise code is based on the EPA guidance from the 1970’s.
A weighting filter; dbA.
- dB(A) stands for A-weighted decibels.
- It’s a measurement scale that adjusts the decibel level to account for the sensitivity of the human ear to different frequencies at low volume.
- The A-weighting curve emphasizes frequencies between 500 Hz and 10 kHz, which are the frequencies most relevant to human hearing.
The A weighting filter filters out significantly more bass frequencies compared to other frequencies and is designed to approximate the ear at around the 40 decibel level, a quiet night in the suburbs.
A-filters are very useful for eliminating inaudible low frequencies so what the filter does is it filters out the base region in the spectrum so it correlates with what a human ear would hear at a low volume. The North Tonawanda city code references and uses the dbA or decibel A filter in determining noise violations.
C weighting filter
- dB(C) stands for C-weighted decibels.
- This scale is useful in situations where the full frequency spectrum needs to be considered, such as assessing industrial machinery noise or evaluating sound in music production and audio engineering contexts.
The c weighting filter differs from the filter in the fact that they filter less of the lower and higher frequencies.
The c filters approximate how the human ear hears at very high sound levels.
Now one thing to note is that at very high sound levels there is no disparity between the lower and the higher frequencies; all the frequencies almost sound equally loud at very high sound levels. So unlike the “a” filter, the “c” filter follows the 100 decibel loudness curve.
It is used in sound measurement of especially loud and noisy environments and it is expressed in dbc.
In summary, dB(A) and dB(C) are two different ways of measuring sound levels. dB(A) is weighted to match human hearing sensitivity, making it suitable for assessing noise exposure in low noise level human environments, while dB(C) measures sound levels across all frequencies equally, making it useful for loud noise industrial applications.
Other bits of information to consider are:
For every doubling of distance from the noise source the decibel readings fall by 6 decibels.
For every 10 decibel decrease the sound hears half as loud.
Weather, wind and atmospheric conditions play a role in how far sound travels and the quality and loudness of that sound.
If you are upwind from a sound source that sound will sound softer as the wind bends the sound waves upward over your head.
Wired Magazine – The Trump Administration’s Data Center Push Could Open the Door for New Forever Chemicals
TruthDig – The Ecological Cost of AI Is Much Higher Than You Think
The Verge – Republicans are looking for a way to bring back the AI moratorium
The Verge – I looked into CoreWeave and the abyss gazed back: meet the company Nvidia is propping up.
The Center for Public Enterprise – Bubble or Nothing
Gizmodo – US Approves $1B Loan to Restart Three Mile Island, as Microsoft Data Centers Drive Demand
Inside Climate News – Members of America’s Largest Power Grid Can’t Agree on How to Power Data Centers
Gothamist – NY talks over Tesla Buffalo plant sputter in ‘fits and starts’
Finally, we kicked off our training with this clip from comedians Charlie Berens and Daniel Van Kirk – enjoy!
November-December 2025 Monthly Updates: Closing out 2025 strong!
Click here to subscribe to our monthly e-newsletter, and view this month’s edition by clicking the “More” link just below.
Mayor-Elect Sean Ryan Transition Plans
Clean Air staff developed and submitted the following policy memo to Mayor-elect Sean Ryan and his transition team, urging actions that the incoming administration that will support our campaign work.
Clean Air Joins Hyatt Workers United in Solidarity
Clean Air yesterday attended the kick-off rally for the boycott of the Hyatt Hotel in downtown Buffalo, called for by Hyatt Workers United.
Below are remarks that Chris made during the press conference at the rally, as well as some photos of the event.
Good morning and thanks to everyone who has come out in this gloomy Monday weather. No Bills win but no loss either to make us sad. Sabres have won 2 in a row though! I would like to thank Hyatt Workers United for inviting us to speak and also their interest in extending solidarity to environmental justice campaigns that are the core of our mission.
I am Chris Murawski, Executive Director of the Clean Air Coalition of WNY. Our mission is to organize and develop community leaders to run and win Env Justice and public health campaigns.
As a part of the city of good neighbors, Clean Air is proud to stand with Hyatt Workers United and support the call to boycott the Hyatt Regency Buffalo. Why may an environmental group want to be involved in this you may ask?
We have a long history of standing in solidarity with labor and many of our members are working class folks that work in the healthcare, trades or service industries.
Also it is in both our best interests to be united as we both have shared goals of protecting the health and well -being of working people and the planet. We both want a future where economic and environmental policies are designed to benefit working class people.
We are not just standing up with our words but also actions. Clean Air is a member of NY Energy Democracy Alliance, a statewide coalition of grassroots groups working to fight for a just sustainable energy system in NY.
In August the group was planning to hold an annual conference in Buffalo and had reserved facilities at the Hyatt to host the meeting. At the time they were unaware of any Union busting activity.
Based on hearing from Luke and Mel and other workers throughout the summer about the situation with the union, we advised EDA to cancel the reservations and postpone the meeting at the Hyatt in solidarity which they did.
It’s just one example of how the community can stand with workers. We also call on other community groups to join us in solidarity in this boycott. If any groups are involved in the planning or hosting of convenings or conferences, stand with us and reconsider choosing the Hyatt and let them know why.
Clean Air is also a member of several national coalitions such as US Climate Action Network and Gulf South To Appalachia Convening which both host large conferences every year with over 300 attendees.
Their policies are to book their meetings at facilities with Union workforces only period. Last conference we were booked at the Westin in Downtown Pittsburgh and we all made a point of telling the workers we appreciated their hospitality and chose the facility because of the union.
So if we ever want to host any of these groups here in Buffalo and bring those dollars and recognition to our community we will need these Hyatt workers to get a contract.
So to be clear we will continue to support the boycott of the Hyatt until Douglas Jemal stops Union busting, settles with the union and negotiates a fair contract in good faith.
September-October 2025 Monthly Updates: Happy Hour Next Wednesday and Other Events in October
Click here to subscribe to our monthly e-newsletter, and view this month’s edition by clicking the “More” link just below.
Clean Air is Bringing the Midwest Academy to Buffalo January 2026!
We are thrilled to share that Clean Air is bringing the Midwest Academy to Buffalo January 20-24, 2026!
The Midwest Academy is a 50 year old training school for community organizers based in Chicago, and we utilize the Midwest framework in our campaigns. Learn more about Midwest here.
From January 20-23, Midwest will lead 30 organizers from WNY in the full professional training, and on Saturday January 24 those organizers will then lead a one-day training on the model for the general public. We anticipate the Saturday training will be for ~100.
Thanks to a generous grant from the Community Foundation of Greater Buffalo, not only is this professional certification training FREE for participants (ordinarily $660-1570 depending on organization budget plus housing/travel), but we also have stipends available for up to three grassroots volunteer organizers who are interested in pursuing organizing as a full time career! Food and support services like interpretation and babysitting are also included.
Participants in the full training need to commit to all four days of the course as well as to lead a break-out group on Saturday the 24th. Seats are limited, so the cohort is limited to three people per organization and is application-based.
If you would like to participate in the full training, please submit your application by October 31 here – https://actionnetwork.org/forms/midwest-academy-buffalo-hub-training-application/
Whether or not you plan to participate in the full course, everyone should mark Saturday January 24, 2026 on your calendar now! The registration page for that date will be published in early December after the full training cohort is selected.
Climate Week with Clean Air
Clean Air will be participating in Climate Week this year!
Join us here in Buffalo at these two events –
- This Solar Panel Fights Fascism – Buffalo for a Solar Powered Equitable Future: Sunday September 21, 1-3pm, Trinity Church (371 Delaware in Buffalo.) Part of the international Sun Day mobilization, we will review the implementation to date of the Build Public Renewables Act, the massive technological advancements in solar energy in recent years, and facilitate a conversation about how we can organize locally for publicly-0wned renewable energy projects. This event is cosponsored by our friends with Third Act Upstate NY and Public Power NY.
- September 2025 General Meeting: Wednesday September 24, 5:30-7pm, hybrid event (in-person at Trinity Church.) Our focus topic this month will be the impacts of recent deregulatory actions at the EPA.
- Additionally, keep an eye out for information on planned actions here in Buffalo on Saturday September 20th for the national Make Billionaires Pay day of action! Clean Air will be in attendance supporting these actions.
You can also join us in NYC on Wednesday September 24 from 10am-1pm at Convene 237 Park for a series of panels hosted by our friends at EarthJustice – Bridge will be speaking on a panel entitled “Powering AI Sustainability: Aligning the Data Boom with a Clean Energy Future” about how data centers are impacting WNY at noon! Space is limited, so if you will be in NYC and would like to attend, please register here.