Photo credit: Field Engineer
by Arline L. Bronzaft, Ph.D., Board of Directors, GrowNYC, Co-founder, The Quiet Coalition, and Honorary Chair, Quiet American Skies
Sean Patrick Cooper’s New York Times opinion article is titled: “Data Centers Make Terrible Neighbors.” This headline should be no surprise to our readers. This line from the article sums it up well: “Tech companies are building noisy energy-hungry hubs in U.S. communities.” Data centers that are essential to the development of artificial intelligence are located across the United States. Unfortunately, the sounds of the fans needed to cool the equipment inside these centers can sound “like a leaf blower that never turns off.”
It isn’t just the noise that’s disruptive to nearby residents. Large amounts of water are needed to cool the equipment. Residents say the costs of powering these data centers have caused a rise in their energy bills. Sadly, many residents don’t know how these data centers will impact their lives until after they are installed. There are no regulations yet that require monitoring of potential data centers, so residents are on their own when it comes to gaining knowledge about this issue.
A group in Orange County, Virginia is fighting a data center set up by Amazon, Cooper writes. But we also learn that it is unlikely that the group will succeed in stopping the center from being opened. In general, groups around the country are having difficulty questioning whether these data centers should become part of their communities because they lack adequate information. And, local officials often support big tech companies, stressing the advantages to their constituents.
So are there any victories to report? Yes! This article points to a project that was not built in Chesterton, Indiana. However, the article goes on to say that these local victories, in stopping data centers from being developed, are the exception.
To give more authority to local communities, Congress should enact regulations that allow people to learn more about the potential harmful impacts of proposed data centers. Cooper finishes his opinion by stating that these types of regulations, protecting communities from harmful environmental impacts, are essential to the “A.I. revolution.” I would like to add my often-stated comment that it is not the ways that are lacking, it is the will.
