Data centers: Progress need not come at the expense of our communities
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As demand for artificial intelligence, cloud computing and digital services grows, communities across the country are being approached about constructing massive data centers. These facilities may promise jobs, investment and increased tax revenue, but before welcoming widespread development, a fundamental question is fair to ask: What will it cost our communities in energy, water and quality of life?
Data centers require enormous amounts of electricity to operate computers, servers and cooling systems around the clock. Before approving these projects, communities are wise to require that developers provide dedicated sources of renewable or alternative energy rather than placing additional demands on electrical grids already serving residents, farms, and local businesses.
A responsible data center could generate or secure sufficient power through wind, solar, geothermal or other sustainable technologies. Development need not jeopardize the reliability or affordability of electricity for the people who already live and work in the community.
Water deserves equal scrutiny. Some data centers consume significant quantities of water for cooling. In areas where groundwater, wells, rivers, and municipal systems are precious resources, allowing enormous volumes of water to be used without strict safeguards could produce lasting harm. Developers can explore closed-loop systems that capture, filter, recycle and continuously reuse water instead of repeatedly drawing fresh supplies from the community.
Noise is another concern that cannot be dismissed. Residents living near some data centers have complained about persistent noise from cooling equipment, generators, and other machinery. Communities considering these facilities can be visionaries on behalf of residents to establish enforceable noise standards and require sound-reduction technologies, adequate setbacks and ongoing monitoring.
None of this means data centers should be prohibited. Technology will continue to advance, and the infrastructure supporting it must exist somewhere. But technological progress is not a reason to force communities to surrender control over their natural resources or quality of life.
Before approving widespread construction or expansion, state and local governments can slow down, conduct independent research, and examine the experiences of communities where large data centers already operate. Environmental impacts, energy demands, water consumption, noise, infrastructure costs and emergency planning all deserve careful study. The true cost of construction includes the investments needed to control these impacts from the beginning, not expenses deferred until problems arise. In this case, "an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure."
We have an opportunity to establish responsible standards before, rather than after, problems emerge.
The question is not simply, Where can we build the next data center?
It is: How can it be built without making the surrounding community pay the price?
About the author: Kathy G. Pelleran-Mahoney is a writer and advocate with a five-decade career in public service. A native of Alpena, she and her husband, Ken, reside in Montague, Michigan.