DATA CENTERS
Data centers are quickly emerging as the environmental issue of this decade.
Data centers are large warehouse-like facilities that house computer servers. From streaming services to cloud computing to AI-driven technologies, data centers process and store the vast amounts of information that we rely on every day.
Nature Forward recognizes the vital importance of data centers in our society. However, we also acknowledge the devastating impacts their massive energy, water, and land use can have on nature and people if data centers aren’t subject to proper oversight and public input.
That is why we encourage you to TAKE ACTION.
Please join us in asking legislators to adopt policies that mitigate the significant carbon, energy and water resource impacts associated with data centers.
There is an urgent need to better regulate the expanding
data center industry to ensure a sustainable future!
TRANSPARENCY
Far too often data center development happens without prior disclosure of the impacts of excessive energy and water usage. These issues should be reported at the time of planning, not after the facility comes online.
POWER GENERATION
At a time when we should be retiring fossil fuel power plants, their use is actually ramping up to meet the colossal energy needs of the growing data center industry.
BACK-UP DIESEL
In Northern Virginia alone, data centers use as many as 4,000 commercial diesel generators as backup energy sources. The potential negative impacts on air quality are tremendous, particularly at this scale of diesel usage.
TRANSMISSION LINES
The immense energy needs of data centers usually require additional transmission lines, which impacts surrounding areas and communities.
WATER CONSUMPTION
The average data center can consume 5,000,000 gallons of water per day to cool its machinery. Collectively, data centers can discharge tons of sediment and stormwater into local waterways, endangering wildlife and people.
LAND USE
Data center complexes are not engaging spaces. These large structures can change the character of the communities in which they are located.
NOISE
The HVAC and power infrastructure that service data centers create 24/7 noise impacts that local noise ordinances don’t currently address.
Data Center Energy Needs and Water Consumption
One data center can use as much energy as 50,000 homes.
Data centers run 24/7 and rely on air-polluting diesel generators to meet their energy demands during power outages; occurrences that threaten to be more frequent as our energy grid becomes more unstable.
There is not enough renewable energy available to meet even half the demand of data centers alongside the power needs of regular consumers.
The excessive energy needs of data centers drive up greenhouse gas emissions and ratepayers’ bills alike.
Depending on the design, a large data center could use up to five-million gallons of municipal drinking water per day in order to reduce the temperature of the computing machines. This is not water we get back into our system.
A 2022 study by the National Parks Conservation Association (NPCA) found that data centers would discharge tons of sediment and stormwater into Virginia waterways, endangering both people and wildlife.
According to the Virginia Conservation Network, water consumption by data centers in Loudoun County, VA increased 250% in the last four years. Data centers used 899 million gallons of our water in 2023.
The United States is the world’s largest market for data centers with the most facilities concentrated in Northern Virginia, Portland, Dallas, Phoenix, Atlanta, Chicago, and Silicon Valley. The demand for increased data center support for Artificial Intelligence (AI) technology has opened up secondary markets across the US.
With most of the world’s data centers (39%) located in the US, our nation has an excellent opportunity to be an international leader in renewable energy, sustainable energy grids, and data center infrastructure.
To do that, we need to create common-sense environmental restrictions and incentives to encourage data center developers to build data centers, and energy providers to provide energy in ways that protect the health and well-being of people and our environment.
That’s why Nature Forward encourages you to Stay Informed and Speak Out about data centers!
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