Lennox high schoolers, club asking if 'data centers can be done right?'

Students from the Lennox Digital Age Club, led by Lennox School Board President Scott Sandal, are conducting a comprehensive data center feasibility study for their community. The study, approved by the Lennox City Council last month, seeks to answer critical questions from residents regarding water and electricity consumption, as well as broader community and environmental impacts of data centers. The proactive approach in Lennox is heavily influenced by the contentious debates surrounding a proposed hyperscale data center near Sioux Falls, which is projected to consume up to 500 MW and has faced significant public pushback, particularly at a January Sioux Falls City Council meeting that lasted over six hours. Mr. Sandal criticized this project, labeling its proponents as "land speculators" who lack understanding of data center operations. The Lennox study aims to equip the city council with essential information, establishing benchmarks for infrastructure capabilities—estimated at a maximum of 10 MW—before any data center companies express interest. The club is collaborating with industry experts and receiving recognition from organizations like Infrastructure Masons and even Stanford engineering students, focusing on sustainable IT asset management and smaller-scale, traditional enterprise data centers rather than hyperscale facilities. The group expects to complete its study before summer, potentially serving as a model for other communities facing similar questions about the digital age.