After Somerset
For 35 years, the Somerset Power Station burned coal and lit New York. Somerset was nearly a nuclear town, until a fault line stopped the reactor and coal took its place. It was the last of its kind in the state.
When the final load of coal burned at Somerset in March 2020, plans were already being drawn up to repurpose the 675-megawatt facility on the shores of Lake Ontario as a solar-powered data storage site.
Sommerset, The Last Burn
Instead, the plant went quiet—stacks cold, jobs gone. Like many coal towns across the country, workers scattered as the town adjusted to life after coal.
Somerset’s story is still about energy—just not the kind it started with.
Now, the site hums again. Rows of specialized computers mine digital currency, their steady whir replacing the roar of the turbine. For now, the power comes from hydro, with a 125-megawatt solar project rising nearby. Some of the original crew are still here, trading boilers and turbines for servers and screens.
Mike Adinolfe (40), Welder,17 years at Somerset Power Plant, Somerset, NY, Dec 2019.
I grew up down the road in Newfane. My dad started this place and I’ll finish it. I might have to start over, It’s nothing, I go to work everyday I’m just going to be going somewhere else.
Steam from the stack during the last 'run' at Somerset Power Plant, Somerset, NY, Mar 2020.
After 34 years at the plant, control room operator, Tony Spector (65), stands with his wife Barb at their home, Lockport, NY, Jun 2020.
Somerset, NY, December 2019.
Mark Clare, 65, Machinist, Somerset Power Plant, Somerset, NY, Dec 2019.
Training facility, Somerset Power Plant, Somerset, NY, Dec 2019
Chemical Operator, Russel Ormsby (65), 36 years at Somerset Power Plant, Somerset, NY, Mar 2020
My husband works here too so we’re both out of a job. It’ll be alright, as far as I’m concerned, if I can help run a power plant I can do anything. I don’t want to get too political because it’s upsetting, but the fact that we’re just going to lose our jobs and we’re going to leave the gate one day and this place is gonna rust in place - it’s sickening. And this data center maybe coming, that some of these jobs will be jobs that we could train for, It’s not sounding like it, I would be surprised. I’m just trying not to worry about it - on top of it I take care of my 87 year old mother in law so it’s a balancing act. When you’ve had to wonder about your job for twenty eight and a half years, at some point, you have to put it on the back burner. If we're not needed, why are they looking to replace us with solar and wind? I’m going to take a 6 month course so I can do medical billing and coding. New York state will pay for it because our jobs have ended through no fault of our own. I could retire but I don’t know anything but work. I have to do something."
Control Room Operator, Darlene Lutz (60), 28 years at Somerset Power Plant, Somerset, NY, Dec 2019.
I’m ready for this to be over. I’d like to do some snow birding and go somewhere warmer for the winter...hopefully as far as money goes I don’t lose half of my money again in the markets like we did ten years ago.
I’m going to work till 5.30 tonight as they're offering overtime so I’ll take it - probably the last time i’ll ever work it in my life.
Material Handler, Lewis Kane (63), 33 years at Somerset Power Plant, Somerset, NY, Dec 2019.
I had a job interview today and it looks like I have the job, so I’ll be gone in the next few weeks.
Colleen Fryer (53), Administration & Human Resources - 15 years at the plant, Somerset Power Plant, Somerset, NY, Dec 2019.
Right now I have kind of mixed feelings about it. I mean, I hate to see people lose their jobs, but I read a lot and I keep up with the environmental news. And I realize that mankind has changed. It's time to move on from coal.
I think we have the technology to do it. but the oil and coal and gas industries, they pretty much run the world. The billionaires control our government.
It's been about the last ten years that I've been more informed about the environmental damage of carbon dioxide. I took pride in the fact that we scrubbed out most of the sulfur dioxide and nitrogen oxide but there's nothing we can do with CO2.
I agree with most scientists - if we don’t make a change soon it’s going to be bad for future generations.
Machinist, Mel Carpenter (64), 35 years at the plant, stand with his goat at the Carpenter family home, Somerset, NY, Jun 2020.
I didn’t even know what a power plant was until I came here, I was a welder over at a shop not too far from here. I was in the Navy before that in the submarine fleet. Now I’m a lead control operator, there’s three leads that run the plant.
I told them right out front, I'd like to be part of the first people cut, so that the younger people can stay, for as long as they can anyway.
My wife and I were talking about selling our house early next year and moving out toward the Colorado area. There's a Bible school out there.
Control room operator, Tony Spector (65), 34 years at the somerset Power Plant, Somerset, NY, Dec 2019.
Carole Feltz - The real estate lady warned us not to buy our property in 1983 but we are glad that we did. The plant had just started to be built and there was a lot of controversy. But it was built anyway.
We used to get black snow in the winters. They used to tell us that the project was clean. They eventually did filter that out and we got our white snow back. At first we were worried the real estate lady might have been right.
There’s a map that shows where the wind turbines will be built. 72 of them in the area. They would destroy the peace and quiet and the beauty. If the government decides they are coming they are going to go ahead. We can protest but it wont make a difference.
Retired Teacher, (L) Carole Feltz (74) with daughter and art teacher, Krista-Beth Feltz (45) at the Somerset Historical Society, Babcock House Museum, Somerset, NY, Dec 2019.
Krista-Beth Feltz - We’ve pretty much only focused on the positives of the plant. And obviously now there’s a lot of devastation in regards to it, but through the years we were pretty blessed in this area. It brought jobs, it brought economic growth, an influx to the school. So it was pretty beneficial.
But the basic reality of the situation is unless there’s some influx of a business that comes back in to provide opportunity and revenue, there’s really no other way to look at it. The doors will close or we will end up merging with another school.
I feel lost, there's no place for a busted-up old guy like me. I’ve gotta figure out how to get from 63 to 66 without depleting my savings. I’ve got nothing against people that work at Walmart but that’s not how I want to end my career. That’s for the younger ones starting out. But there's not much out there right now. The Governor came out here offering training and stuff but what good does that do me with only a couple of years to go?
Chemical Operator, Michael Farkas (63), after 39 years at the plant stand with his logo collection in his family home, Barker, NY, Jun 2020.
I was in a seven year relationship that ended, so I came here to get away from things.
I do the inter-library loans. The town past a temporary budget to get us open again for a few months. The old library burnt down so we're in a temporary location. The old location is just a carpark now in the center of town.
Library Clerk, Aster Jem Morningstar (27) at her home in Barker, NY, Jun 2020.
Somerset, NY, Dec 2019.
Operator booth in the coal stacker, Somerset Power Plant, Somerset, NY, Mar 2020.
I started here when I was 23. I've got a wife, two kids, one on the way. I'm not sure what I'm going to do next. I was a machinist before I came here so I'm not sure I want to do that anymore.
It’s going to be tight for our family because right now I'm the main, you know, bringing home the bread. My wife’s due in July so she won't be working...we’re worried about health insurance...it’s pretty expensive, being on unemployment - I don't know if I can afford it, but everything will work out, it always does.
FGD A Operator, Jesse Rohring (27), 4 years at the Somerset Power Plant, Somerset, NY, Jun 2020.
Stores & Warehouse operator, Augie Sansone (68), 37 years at Somerset Power Plant, Somerset, NY, Dec 2019.
I was here during construction in '82, there was probably around 2200 to 2300 people here. It’s going to be a sad day when we walk out the door for the last time. But - nothing lasts forever. All good things must pass.
I think it’s just a little ploy by our top elected official to reflect the feel, the vibe of today. Everybody wants green, they all want green. But like I’ve told a few people, now that we’re going to close we have to hope for sunny days and windy days. I’m sure the people that made the decision are smarter than me when it comes to providing electricity to the whole state.
It doesn’t seem very fair that the state of NY is making the ruling when just 90 miles from here you're in Pennsylvania and they can run.
I’ve been through all the changes. I wrecked my body here. It’s been thirty five years of hard work, it’s sad, it breaks my heart. Ten years ago we were upgrading this place.
Started at $7.31 per hour, now i’m at $38 but I'm worth every damn dime! I’m going to go drive truck for like $20 per hour and retire somewhere. I feel bad for Mike. He’s younger and has a family.
Welder, Doug Ripson (61), 35 years at Somerset Power Plant, Somerset, NY, Dec 2019.
I was elected to the town board in 2008, in that era we received two-point-one-million per year to offset our operating budget. In 2019, we received four-hundred-and-thirty-four-thousand.
My understanding of the data center is it will be a large scale data center. Approximately 150 to 160 good paying middle income jobs and revenue to help provide essential services to our community.
These jobs will entice people to live and raise families in our community. And to send their children to our school, which is good for our school district. So there’s a great opportunity to make a win-win story out of this. And I think the environmental community has been supportive of this.
**Engert resigned on January the 6th and relocated to Florida. He was with the County Jail for 29 years and town supervisor since 2012
Town Supervisor & Deputy Chief of County Jail, Dan Engert, Somerset Town Hall, Somerset, NY, Dec 2019.
In my life I’ve seen running water, the television, the phone. The things these kids are going to see in their lives. We saw a man on the moon and they'll see them on mars.
Rosemary Woodworth (89) with great grandson Levon Slowery (2) at the school band pancake breakfast fundraiser, Barker Fire Hall, Barker, NY, Mar 2020.
In my mind, the Governor is putting us out of a job. It seems strange that right next to us in Pennsylvania, they have coal fired plants and we're importing power from Pennsylvania but we're putting people in New York state, who live here and pay taxes, out of a job. And we're also pulling power in from the Canadians. Do you think that's right? I think it's kind of shitty, to be honest with you.
Electirician, Dan Jorgensen (63), 37 years at Somerset Power Plant, Somerset, NY, Dec 2019.
(L) Mike Adinolfe (40) & Doug Ripson (61) Somerset Power Plant, Somerset, NY, Dec 2019.
My wife got a job cleaning houses to help out until I find a job. I hopefully have an interview next week.
Mike Adinolfe Barker, NY, Jun 2020.
I realize times change, but it’s devastating to our town. In the plant’s heyday, they were very supportive of all the community groups within the town. And we lost all that when we lost the plant. We all need power, It just doesn’t make any sense to shut down the cleanest plant in the country.
I didn’t understand what a bitcoin center was, I had to go learn what that meant, but either way I felt we had to say yes because the community needs businesses in it.
I voted yes for it through the town planning board but there was some community outcry against it.
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Food Pantry Volunteer, Krista Atwater (R), Faith United Methodist Church Food & Clothing Pantry, Barker, NY, May 2022.
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When I applied I thought it was a data entry job because that’s what I have some experience with. Then they brought me in for the interview. I came up here from Kentucky to be with my boyfriend.
I do wonder how long it’s going to last, another ten years, twenty years? Or is it just going to be one of those things that goes out of existence?
Data Center Operator, Kayleigh Wedlake (31), Lake Mariner Data Center, Somerset, NY, May 2022
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Lake Mariner Data Center, Somerset, NY, May 2022
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I wasn’t really prepared for it to be inside an old coal plant, but it’s been interesting. From the listing, I thought it would be more of a data center, maintaining servers and data, things like that.
The way I see it, with all the money that’s going into the facilities, even if Bitcoin doesn’t last, let’s say another decade or two, there’s always going to be some kind of data center at this location.
If bitcoin crashes tomorrow, down to zero, swapping it over to a datacenter wouldn’t take that much work.
Operation & Maintenance Technician, CJ Boychuc (34), Lake Mariner Data Center, Somerset, NY, May 2022
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Solar array installed to power the Barker Central School District, Barker, NY, May 2022.
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Administrative Coordinator, Jim Spoon (30), Lake Mariner Data Center, Somerset, NY, May 2022.
This was inevitable, you could see it coming. It’s closing for the environment, but I don’t talk politics.
I just got my bachelors degree in accounting. I was in the military so they paid for it and the plant let me go to school.
I’m not a person that likes a lot of change. Who does? We were all running a coal power plant, now we’re doing bitcoin. They’re polar opposites - one you’re digging from the ground the other one is a machine doing algorithms. It’s exciting doing something new, for the most part were all out of our elements.
I didn’t stay until they let everyone go. I found a job and stayed there for, I think it was my six month mark. And they sent letters to everyone stating that they were going to do something with the facility. I told them I’m interested in more of an office role, I don’t want to do shift work or anything like that.
I was actually kind of surprised when we got the letter, in a way, I didn’t expect to be back. When I first came back I was running loader and forklifts. Since we’ve hired more people I’m more or less in my office all the time.
Everything’s changing all the time, right? Plans are changing, designs are changing, the scope of work is changing. And just because I don’t like it doesn’t mean I can’t adapt to it, right? You’ve got to be able to thrive in chaos.
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Electrician, Alan Wetherbee (57), Lake Mariner Data Center, Somerset, NY, May 2022.
To think that we went from the plant that made a huge amount of power to now we’re going to be using a huge amount of power, you really wonder is there going to be times when the grid may be in trouble? I think there’s going to be times when they’ll miss this place. But as far as new crypto, I’m really not up on that and how it might turn out.
I started here in ‘86, I’ve been here the whole time. I’ve got a couple guys who have worked here before who were technicians, I’m showing them the electrical stuff.
I really like it here. I’ve applied to some other jobs, but things didn’t go the way that I had hoped but this has worked out really well for me.
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IT Technician, Jesse Roring (30), Lake Mariner Data Center, Somerset, NY, May 2022.
I was on the road, with the Millrights [union] doing turbine work and the plant had reached out to me asking if I was interested in interviewing and coming back and I said, absolutely! I was actually on a nuclear [power plant] outage then and after the outage I left the millwrights and came back here.
It was very surreal walking back through the doors. I immediately felt like I was back at home again. This place means a lot of things to a lot of different people. And to me, I’ll always be thankful for this place. It gave me my first house, my family, it supported me for a long time. I owe a lot to this place and i’ll always be thankful for that.
I’ve never really thought about it long term, but it’s one of those things where it could just be taking off or one of those things where it might not work out, you never know. But I’m here for the ride to see what happens...again.
Operator, Terry Herriven (56), 17 years at the plant, Lake Mariner Data Center, Somerset, NY, May 2022
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When I left the power plant I went to an ethanol plant. I was called a cook operator, my job basically dealt with the fermentation of the corn before it was distilled.
It was a hard job, I walked 12 miles a day and I never even left the building. It wasn’t my dream job by any means. I was pretty happy to get out of there, but it was a job and I’m the type of person I’m never going to leave a job until I have another job lined up.
What I do now isn’t going to be what I will be doing a year from now. We’re still running liquid waste from the old plant, which processes all the water from all the different collection ponds that we have here. Other days, the job could be sweeping up floors or fixing toilets and bathrooms to loading miners on rack and running all the power cords to them and the ethernet cords.
I don’t know how long this is going to last. I don’t know enough about bitcoins and mining. It’s a little scary because I don’t know what the future is in this.
Being 56, 57 in a couple of months, all I care about is the next 4 to 6 years. And then it’s retirement. I think this place is going to do well, but that’s me not knowing anything, just my gut.
I started at the plant in 1985. We had a pension, we had everything and as they went through the different companies that eroded a lot of that stuff away. So I just keep working, that’s kind of my future. I don’t mind working.
I was off for 18 months and that was the best 18 months that I had. Then I applied and got to come back here. Unemployment benefits and everything else, I went through all that stuff, I was hoping to be retired. I had other opportunities for jobs and I stayed here because it was close to home.
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Operation & Maintenance Tech, Geoff Arnold (57), Lake Mariner Data Center, Somerset, NY, May 2022.
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We’re a farming community. We want to stay a farming community. We don’t want to see fields and fields of solar in Somerset. That’s not why people move here.
It’s been very busy with all the different projects going on, with the power plant and fighting the windmills in town for over seven years to keep them out. We’ve got to be able to keep doing what we’re doing without having to raise taxes through the roof.
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Town Supervisor, Jeffrey Dewart (66), Somerset Town Clerk Office, Barker, NY, May 2022.
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Somerset, NY, May 2022.
I’m still working on this project, check back for updates.