Jerry Kremer: Tech companies must explain why we need data centers
The article emphasizes the urgent need for tech companies to clarify why data centers are essential, amidst growing public concern over their significant electricity and water consumption. It highlights the rapid expansion of these facilities across the US, leading to calls for moratoriums on new construction, with New York reportedly nearing approval of a one-year pause. The author advocates for greater transparency and education from the data center industry to address public fears and policy challenges.
Jerry Kremer, a former state assemblyman and chair of the Capitol Insight Group, argues that tech companies must proactively engage the public to explain the necessity of data centers. He points out that while data centers are foundational to AI and the digital economy, their rapid growth, with thousands in operation and planned across states like Virginia, Florida, and California, has sparked widespread public and governmental concern.
Kremer highlights the substantial resource demands of these facilities, noting that a single data center can consume as much electricity as tens of thousands of homes, straining an aging power grid and potentially driving up local utility bills. He also details their daily water usage, often exceeding a million gallons, and the environmental impact from noise and emissions generated by backup diesel generators. These issues have led to public outcry and demands for moratoriums on new construction, with New York reportedly on the verge of approving a one-year halt.
Instead of resisting calls for pauses in construction, Kremer suggests the data center industry should launch an aggressive campaign to demonstrate the benefits of new centers to local communities. He stresses the importance of transparency, including holding community meetings and avoiding "secret deals" with municipalities, to build trust and dispel misinformation. Kremer concludes that both government and the industry have a responsibility to address these challenges in a rapidly evolving technological landscape.