There are more than 4,000 data centers in the United States. In 2023, data centers consumed 4.4% of total U.S. electricity supply. Virginia has more data centers than any other state, two-thirds of which are in the northern Virginia suburbs of Washington, D.C. Data centers emit a wide range of air pollutants and heat-trapping pollution. They use a lot of water to cool their servers. They are projected to consume between 4.2 billion and 6.6 billion cubic meters of water annually by 2027.
The New York Legislature passed a one-year moratorium on data center permits Thursday night. The bill would also require a local public hearing before such facilities are constructed and a statewide data center environmental impact report within a year and a half after the bill becomes law. Maine’s governor vetoed a moratorium there in April. Data centers that support artificial intelligence suck up an enormous amount of energy to power their computers and need water to cool them. Local opposition to these projects is growing.
Archbald, a borough of 7,500 residents in the Lackawanna Valley in northeastern Pennsylvania, has received proposals for multiple data centers covering 14% of its area. Law professor and executive director of Penn State’s Center for Energy Law and Policy has been researching local responses to data center proposals across Pennsylvania. He explains the pros and cons of big data centers.
Georgia-based Southeastern Hose manufactures corrugated metal hoses for data centers. Its revenue increased 25% last year and it's on track to grow 40% this year. Data center construction has tripled over the last three years and occupancy rates remain near record highs for third-party leased data centers, according to Goldman Sachs Research. The semiconductor industry is also seeing double-digit or more increases in sales.
The majority of planned datacenters in the US are being built in drought-ridden areas. More than 60% of the US is experiencing drought. Datacenters require a lot of water and energy to operate. They could use 73bn gallons of water a year by 2028, up from 17bn gallons in 2023.
Aisha Farooqi is running for Congress in Michigan’s 11th District in Oakland County. She believes AI data centers are a bad deal for Michigan taxpayers, bad for the environment and bad for suburban communities that are already struggling with infrastructure strain, rising utility costs and unchecked development.
The Army got more than 200 responses to an open-ended call for ideas on how it could upgrade its infrastructure. There are proposals to build data centers on four Army installations, including Fort Bliss, Texas, Dugway Proving Ground, Utah and Fort Bragg, N.C. The proposals must include net-zero water usage and a power plan that does not draw on the local energy grid.
A new law passed in Tennessee protects citizens from rising electricity costs from nearby data centers' demands on the grid. The issue came into focus with the impact of xAI's two large data centers near Memphis, the first, Colossus 1, being the world's largest supercomputer, and the second, Colossus 2, slated for a half-billion dollar expansion.
Yorkville, 50 miles southwest of Chicago, has approved three massive hyperscale data centers. Preserve Our Yorkville has come together in opposition of the projects. Data center opposition is the most bipartisan issue in recent memory. A March Gallup poll found that 70 percent of Americans oppose data centers in their area.
Utah residents are protesting against a proposed data center. The project has been dramatically scaled back after public outcry. Sen. Josh Hawley, R-Mo., is pushing for federal laws to protect against encroachment on natural resources. The state of drought in Utah is exacerbated by low snowfalls and rising temperatures.