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Heat adds to strains on areas with data centers
23 days ago
- Heat waves increase electricity demand for data centers, straining power grids and worsening local air quality.
- Data centers use energy-intensive cooling systems and backup diesel generators, which can harm air quality during heat waves.
- Lowell, Massachusetts residents oppose a local data center due to environmental and health concerns, leading to a moratorium on expansion.
- Data center electricity use is growing locally but not nationally, though large power consumers pose grid reliability risks.
- Community tensions over data centers have escalated, including protests and police involvement at public meetings.
US residents angry datacenters 'shoved down our throats' are recalling officials
22 days ago
- A proposed data center in Lenox Township, Michigan, faced public backlash due to perceived secrecy, leading to packed meetings and a recall petition against officials.
- Nationwide, U.S. residents are increasingly pushing for moratoriums on new data centers, citing concerns over property values, water and energy strain, and unemployment, with bipartisan unity emerging against the projects.
- Data centers consume significant resources: one center can use as much electricity as 2,000 homes and up to 5 million gallons of water daily, straining local infrastructure and increasing consumer costs.
- Developers often operate clandestinely, using non-disclosure agreements, which fuels public distrust and transparency demands, as seen in cases from Virginia to Oklahoma.
- In Festus, Missouri, a $6 billion data center deal prompted a recall effort against the mayor and council, despite claims of economic benefits, highlighting community resistance to lack of involvement.
- In Yukon, Oklahoma, a recall petition over a $1 billion data center led to a vice-mayor's resignation and a neighboring city imposing a moratorium, driven by water rationing and transparency issues.
- Opposition is sometimes falsely attributed to Chinese influence, as with a Utah project, though experts find little evidence, and critics question who benefits from projects like in Lenox Township.
- The Lenox data center website, linked to political advocacy software, stalled with no clear developer disclosed, reflecting broader challenges in data center proposals and community engagement.
Gov. Greg Abbott calls for ban on data center devel in rural Texas neighborhoods
22 days ago
- Gov. Greg Abbott advocates banning new AI data centers in rural Texas neighborhoods to protect local communities.
- Abbott's proposal includes requiring data centers to fund their own infrastructure, generate power, reuse water, and eliminate tax breaks.
- Rural residents oppose data centers due to concerns over water, air quality, and electricity costs, with nearly two-thirds against local construction.
- Political challenges arise as many planned data centers are in Republican-voting areas, complicating GOP leadership's stance.
- Some counties and cities are implementing moratoriums or bans, facing legal and legislative pushback from developers.
US manufacturers' energy costs soar because of AI data center demand
18 days ago
- US manufacturers in Rust Belt cities face significantly higher electricity costs due to rising demand from data centers, straining the PJM Interconnection power grid.
- Steelmakers and brick factories see squeezed profit margins, potentially undermining Trump's 'Made in America' manufacturing revival plan, even as tech companies behind the AI boom are championed.
- Factory electricity bills are rising faster than for other customers; for example, Belden Brick Company's monthly bills soared from $1,600 to $12,000 due to higher capacity charges in PJM's 13-state region.
- The Steel Manufacturers Association warns that Rust Belt steel companies pay tens of millions more yearly in power costs, with electricity accounting for 20-40% of steel production costs.
- Data center growth has driven PJM's capacity prices from $28.92 per megawatt-day in 2024 to $329.17 in 2026, increasing operating costs for manufacturers like Metallus, which saw a 70% electricity cost jump and an extra $15 million annually.
EPA Official Agrees to Review Meta Inc. Data Center Impacts on Water
18 days ago
- EPA official Jessica Kramer commits to investigating water quality concerns linked to Meta's data center project in Morgan County, Georgia.
- Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez shows murky water samples during a hearing, highlighting local reliance on bottled water and appliance failures due to construction.
- Meta spokesperson denies impact, citing an independent groundwater study, and states water is sourced from utilities, not groundwater.
Texas leads nation in proposed power plants for data centers
11 days ago
- Texas leads the nation in planned natural gas-fired power plants for data centers, with 32 out of 74 national projects, which could emit over 287 million tons of greenhouse gases annually—equivalent to 61 million cars.
- The proposed plants in Texas could also release significant air pollutants, including 14,000 tons of fine particulate matter, 20,000 tons of nitrogen oxides, and 8,000 tons of volatile organic compounds, linked to respiratory illnesses and heart disease.
- Many proposed plants are in lower-income communities with below-average life expectancy, potentially worsening health disparities, and are concentrated in West Texas with limited air quality monitoring.
- Data center demand is driven by AI growth, with Texas attracting projects due to cheap land, available power, and business-friendly policies, but concerns include grid reliability and rising electricity bills for residents.
- Texas faces unprecedented electricity demand forecasts, with ERCOT reporting 439 gigawatts requested, 89% from data centers, though not all may be built, sparking debates over infrastructure costs and developer responsibility.
New York blocks new hyperscale data centers for a year
11 days ago
- New York imposes a one-year moratorium on large data center construction to address environmental and energy grid impacts.
- Gov. Hochul signed an executive order, creating the first statewide ban on hyperscale data centers over concerns like power use and water supply.
- The move fuels debate on AI regulation, balancing environmental risks with economic benefits and tech sector growth.
- Political implications arise as Hochul faces reelection, with Democrats addressing utility affordability and adjusted climate goals.
- Opposition includes criticism from the Data Center Coalition and Republican candidate Bruce Blakeman, who favors local deals for economic gains.
Mysteries of Telegram Data Centers
10 days ago
- Telegram has 5 data centers (DC1-5) with specific geographic locations; DC5 in Singapore is known for frequent downtime, especially affecting Chinese users with +86 phone numbers.
- DC allocation is based on phone number country code at registration: DC1 (USA, +1), DC2 (Germany, +49), DC4 (Netherlands, European numbers), DC5 (Singapore, +86). DC3 has no current users, having likely migrated to DC1.
- Three methods to determine user DC: Login method via MTProto error, Profile picture/file method using dc_id field, and Web CDN method (which misidentifies DC2/3 as DC4/1 due to shared domains). Bots using Web CDN may be inaccurate.
- Testing confirms DC3 no longer accepts new users, with existing users transferred to DC1. Users can choose DC by phone number country code to avoid issues like DC5 downtime.
How hard is it to build orbital data centers, actually?
10 days ago
- SpaceX's future value relies on orbital data centers, not rockets or spacecraft.
- The plan includes launching a constellation of 1 million satellites to power millions of frontier-class GPUs.
- The AI1 satellite, an iteration of orbital data centers, has disclosed size and power details.
- Elon Musk stated that the technology leverages existing Starlink V3 components, not requiring 'magic'.
- Technical challenges include heat dissipation, radiation, and latency, with economic feasibility being a major hurdle.
- Industry debate exists on the viability, with some experts noting 'massive technical challenges' despite potential solvability.
Do data centers only seem bad for the climate because we can see them?
10 days ago
- The climate impact of emissions is often invisible, making visible sources like data centers seem disproportionately harmful compared to hidden sources like individual microwaves.
- Data centers are more energy-efficient than distributed personal computing, similar to how a hypothetical national microwave would be more efficient than individual ovens, but visible concentration draws criticism.
- People make three mistakes: not comparing benefits per emissions, favoring 'normal' but less efficient alternatives, and focusing on visible targets while ignoring larger but invisible emissions from sectors like cement or livestock.
- Globally, data centers use 1.5% of electricity and are responsible for 0.48% of emissions, making them relatively small contributors compared to other industries that lack visible 'evil buildings.'
- Data centers are valuable tools that can help address climate change through optimization, and the priority should be greening the energy grid rather than cutting computing.
It may be impossible to make data centers pay 'fair share' of electricity costs
10 days ago
- Tech companies pledge to pay for data center electricity, but unclear cost calculations raise concerns among ratepayers.
- Regulators allocate infrastructure costs to customer groups, but flexibility in data center consumption can avoid peak demand charges.
- Residential customers risk bearing additional costs due to lack of effective advocacy in rate-setting and potential data center changes.
Nobody Is Getting the Data-Center Water Question Right
9 days ago
- AI water use is debated: some view it as highly water-intensive, exacerbating droughts, while others dismiss concerns as exaggerated.
- Data center water consumption varies widely by location, design, and local water supply; national usage is low (<0.1% of U.S. farm water) but can strain local resources in drought-prone areas.
- Closed-loop cooling systems, used by many AI data centers, reuse water and avoid evaporation, reducing direct water demand but increasing electricity use (10–65% more), which indirectly consumes water via power generation.
- Indirect water use from electricity production for data centers can be much larger than direct use (e.g., Meta's indirect use was 23 times its direct consumption in 2024), though estimates are flawed due to grid averaging.
- Solutions exist to reduce both water and electricity use: leveraging cooler climates, evaporative cooling, higher chip temperatures, and renewable energy sources that require minimal water.
- Lack of transparency and accurate data on water use, combined with secretive negotiations by tech companies, fuels public confusion and concerns over environmental impacts and local control.
What Britain's Next Prime Minister Could Mean for UK Data Centers
9 days ago
- Andy Burnham, incoming UK Prime Minister, may shift AI policy to favor homegrown AI over US-centric investments, aligning with European AI sovereignty trends.
- Data center industry calls for clarity on planning and grid connectivity to maintain UK competitiveness; delays risk losing investment.
- Burnham's regional development focus, including 'Number 10 North', could support data center expansion but faces challenges from local autonomy, like potential moratoriums in Scotland.
- Balancing local democratic accountability with national digital infrastructure needs is critical for attracting AI and data center investment under Burnham's leadership.
Big Tech Is Now Targeting Native American Land for Data Centers
6 days ago
- Big Tech companies are targeting Native American lands for data centers to bypass regulatory hurdles.
- The data center boom brings division within Native communities, balancing economic needs with environmental concerns like water usage.
- Native leaders are split, with some seeing data centers as economic hope and others wary of historical exploitation and resource impacts.
- The National Congress of American Indians advocates using tribal lands to support U.S. A.I. infrastructure, citing strategic advantages.
- Communities nationwide face challenges from data center expansion, including noise, water, and energy issues.
Power companies are using eminent domain to seize land for data centers
6 days ago
- The US is experiencing both an AI boom and a data center construction boom, with thousands existing and many in development.
- Despite AI's economic and national security importance, many Americans oppose local AI data center projects due to concerns about higher utility costs, pollution, noise, loss of green space, and high water/energy consumption.
- Opposition also extends to associated infrastructure like transmission lines, which often require crossing private land, leading to eminent domain disputes.
- Eminent domain, the government's power to seize private property for public use with just compensation, is being invoked for data center power needs, raising questions about whether private data centers qualify as 'public use'.
- Data centers' massive electricity demand strains grids; power companies may use eminent domain to acquire land for new transmission lines to meet this growing demand.
- While the Supreme Court has broadly interpreted 'public use', many states enacted reforms or have stricter constitutional interpretations, potentially offering landowners more protection in state courts.
- Court rulings on eminent domain for transmission lines vary; seizing land for grid reliability often qualifies as public use, especially if it benefits in-state customers, but lines that don't benefit the state may be challenged successfully.
Americans hate AI so much that politicians are losing their jobs over it
5 days ago
- Data center projects face widespread controversy due to competing interests among tech companies, power utilities, community leaders, and residents.
- Tech companies drive data center expansion to meet demand from AI and digital services, supported by state tax incentives like those in Michigan.
- Power companies profit from building new infrastructure for data centers, leading them to lobby for favorable policies and zoning changes.
- Community leaders often support data centers for promised jobs and tax revenue, despite limited employment and potential environmental costs.
- Everyday people oppose data centers due to concerns about noise, land use, water consumption, and utility costs, sometimes impacting elections as seen in Utah.
- The outcome of data center proposals depends on how officials balance the motivations and power of all involved stakeholders.

data centers

Heat adds to strains on areas with data centers

US residents angry datacenters 'shoved down our throats' are recalling officials

Gov. Greg Abbott calls for ban on data center devel in rural Texas neighborhoods

US manufacturers' energy costs soar because of AI data center demand

EPA Official Agrees to Review Meta Inc. Data Center Impacts on Water

Texas leads nation in proposed power plants for data centers

New York blocks new hyperscale data centers for a year

Mysteries of Telegram Data Centers

How hard is it to build orbital data centers, actually?

Do data centers only seem bad for the climate because we can see them?

It may be impossible to make data centers pay 'fair share' of electricity costs

Nobody Is Getting the Data-Center Water Question Right

What Britain's Next Prime Minister Could Mean for UK Data Centers

Big Tech Is Now Targeting Native American Land for Data Centers

Power companies are using eminent domain to seize land for data centers

Americans hate AI so much that politicians are losing their jobs over it