Yves here. As many said every on, including your humble blogger, AI\u2019s insatiable energy and resource needs will only accelerate our already-overly-fast-track to climate disruption, resource depletion, and environmental degradation. So please continue to hate on data centers early and often. This article adds more material to an already-long rap sheet.<\/p>\n
The article contends that the harms they set forth can be mitigated. In a must-read article we included in Links earlier, Energy failures are destined to doom Wall Street\u2019s AI euphoria<\/a>, Ambrose Evans-Pritchard forcefully argues otherwise. Illustrative points:<\/p>\n The threat to AI stock mania is not so much lack of energy \u2013 though that is serious \u2013 but rather the global bottleneck of transformers, substations, switchgear, transmission lines and all the unsexy stuff we rarely think about, leaving aside the acute shortage of skilled workers in the US able to install and run such kit.<\/p>\n A single big campus in the data centre hub of Hays County, Texas \u2013 an area where I once played a lot of golf (misspent youth) and know well \u2013 can use 10 million gallons of water a day for evaporative cooling and power generation, draining the Edwards Aquifer that also supplies the Austin-San Antonio corridor.<\/p>\n \u201cNobody is talking about cooling; nobody is talking about water,\u201d said Majumder, speaking at the recent Marshall & Stevens forum on energy infrastructure. \u201cThe farmers are not going to be happy at all about you pumping down their aquifer for cooling.\u201d<\/p>\n By Neha Gour, Ph.D. Candidate in Science Communication, George Mason University, Ed Maibach, Distinguished University Professor Emeritus of Communication, George Mason University, and Luis Ortiz, Assistant Professor of Atmospheric, Oceanic and Earth Sciences, George Mason University. Originally published at The Conversation<\/a><\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n Every internet search, streamed video and AI-generated response depends on a data center somewhere. Driven by rapid growth in artificial intelligence, cloud computing and cryptocurrency, data centers have become the backbone of the modern digital economy. But though their key role is in enabling virtual and remote experiences, data centers are physical buildings in real communities around the nation and the globe.<\/p>\n The United States hosts more than 4,000 data centers<\/a> \u2013 more than any other country<\/a>. The U.S. Department of Energy expects that, taken together, all U.S. data centers will consume as much as 12% of all U.S. electricity by 2028<\/a>. In 2023, data centers consumed about 4.4% of total U.S. electricity<\/a> \u2013 roughly 176 terawatt-hours.<\/p>\n In the U.S., Virginia has more data centers than any other state \u2013 over 600, two-thirds of which are in the northern Virginia<\/a> suburbs of Washington, D.C. In 2023, the state\u2019s data centers consumed about 26%<\/a> of Virginia\u2019s total electricity supply \u2013 a higher share than in any other state.<\/p>\n We study science communication<\/a>, climate science<\/a> and public health<\/a>, so we wanted to understand how data centers in Virginia affect the people who live near them<\/a> and the broader public.<\/p>\n We found that the data centers that already exist affect nearby residents and the nation as a whole in five main areas: air quality, water quality, noise levels, land use and energy costs.<\/p>\n Air Pollution<\/b><\/p>\n Data centers generally operate 24\/7 and consume enormous amounts of electricity, which must be generated somewhere \u2013 either near the data center or farther away.<\/p>\n When fossil fuels are burned to generate that power, they emit a wide range of air pollutants<\/a>, including those linked to lung disease, cardiovascular disease, stroke and neurological conditions. They also emit heat-trapping pollution that causes global warming<\/a> and climate change, which, in turn, worsens air pollution<\/a> further.<\/p>\n Generating power for U.S. data centers in 2023 emitted the equivalent of 2.2%<\/a> of the nation\u2019s greenhouse gas emissions. Other air pollutants emitted from fossil-fuel combustion are associated with increased risk of ADHD<\/a> and autism<\/a> in children and risks of Parkinson\u2019s and Alzheimer\u2019s<\/a> diseases in older adults.<\/p>\n Unless the energy powering data centers comes from clean energy sources, such as solar, wind or geothermal, generating that electricity also pollutes the air. People who live near fossil-fuel burning power plants, whether in communities that also host data centers or in distant states, are exposed to air pollution<\/a>. And during electrical outages, on-site diesel generators<\/a> kick in, releasing large amounts of air pollution that can harm data center employees and nearby residents<\/a> alike.<\/p>\n Water Consumption and Pollution<\/b><\/p>\n Data centers require vast quantities of water<\/a> to cool their servers. Globally, they are projected to consume between 4.2 billion and 6.6 billion cubic meters<\/a> of water annually by 2027. In the United States, data centers already rank among the top 10<\/a> industrial water users.<\/p>\n In northern Virginia, data center water use has risen sharply. In Loudoun County alone, just northwest of D.C., potable water use by data centers more than doubled between 2019 and 2023<\/a>, while facilities across northern Virginia consumed nearly 2 billion gallons of water in 2023<\/a>.<\/p>\n This demand can strain local rivers, aquifers and municipal water systems<\/a>, even in regions like the mid-Atlantic that are not usually prone to drought, but especially in regions like the U.S. Southwest that face persistent droughts.<\/p>\n Noise Pollution<\/b><\/p>\n Data centers\u2019 continuous operation means that cooling systems, including air chillers and cooling fans<\/a>, generate a persistent humming sound around the clock \u2013 as do any generators that are in use to provide power.<\/p>\n In northern Virginia, some residents have complained about an industrial-scale \u201cdrone\u201d or \u201chum.\u201d Measurements at the data centers that were the subject of complaints found noise levels were between 40 and 59 decibels<\/a> on residential property.<\/p>\n Those noise levels are quieter than a conversation with someone 3 feet away<\/a> and not loud enough to damage people\u2019s hearing or violate local noise ordinances. But they are close to levels the EPA says reduce people\u2019s ability to work, sleep and exercise<\/a>. Some people have complained that data center noise has given them trouble sleeping<\/a> and concentrating, and some have said they avoid using their homes\u2019 outdoor spaces, where the noise is louder.<\/p>\n Land Use and Community Well-Being<\/b><\/p>\n Data center expansion often targets land near green spaces, agricultural areas or rural communities<\/a> where developers can secure affordable land with access to existing electricity supplies.<\/p>\n Converting green space into industrial facilities can diminish health benefits<\/a> associated with being in and near natural environments, including opportunities for physical activity and improved mental well-being<\/a>.<\/p>\n In Virginia, residents living near data center construction have reported increased exposure to truck traffic and diesel exhaust<\/a>, which can contribute to respiratory and cardiovascular health risks, especially in children and older adults. While these effects are typical of large construction projects, they can be amplified when several data centers are clustered together.<\/p>\n In places like Prince William County, Virginia, developers have proposed data centers on roughly 2,400 acres<\/a> of undeveloped land in the Rural Crescent, an area designated by the county\u2019s planners to remain relatively undeveloped<\/a>. Those data centers could transform open space and rural farmland into industrial zones, disrupting communities with long-standing ties to the land<\/a>.<\/p>\n Rising Energy Costs<\/b><\/p>\n As data centers increase electricity demand, they put upward pressure on energy prices across the grid. A 2024 Virginia legislative report found that the state\u2019s typical residential electricity bill could rise by $14 to $37 per month<\/a> by 2040 because of grid strain tied to data center growth \u2013 a 9% to 25% increase over current average bills, and a figure that does not factor in potential inflation.<\/p>\n These higher costs are paid by all consumers, but they place a greater burden on families that are most economically distressed, who also tend to have more health problems<\/a>. Lower-income families spend a higher share of their budget on electricity, and when bills rise, the consequences can include reduced access to adequate heating and cooling, increased risks of heat-related illness and cold-related cardiovascular stress<\/a>, as well as difficult choices between paying for energy and food or healthcare.<\/p>\n What Can Be Done<\/b><\/p>\n Many of these health harms can be mitigated through better planning and design.<\/p>\n Increasing the share of renewable energy used to power data centers would help reduce air pollution and associated health harms.<\/p>\n Using recycled water in targeted systems that cool individual server rows<\/a> or racks rather than whole buildings can significantly reduce cooling energy demand, with some studies estimating reductions of up to 29%<\/a>.<\/p>\n On noise, a Leesburg, Virginia, data center reduced low-frequency tonal noise<\/a> by reengineering its fan mounts.<\/p>\n And on energy costs, requiring large-scale data centers to cover more of the grid costs they create<\/a> could help protect residential customers from higher electricity bills.<\/p>\n The world\u2019s digital infrastructure runs through data centers, and that is not changing. We believe that expanding this infrastructure without protecting the health of surrounding communities is an unacceptable option.<\/p>\n
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