Duke University begins construction for new data center on campus
Duke University has begun construction on a new $23 million GPU data center on its Durham, NC campus, intended to boost research and AI capabilities. The project was approved under an educational exemption before a city-wide moratorium was enacted, drawing opposition from residents concerned about energy and water consumption. Meanwhile, the North Carolina General Assembly is discussing statewide regulations on data center energy and water use.
Duke University has commenced construction on a new $23 million graphics processing unit (GPU) data center on its Durham, North Carolina campus, expected to be completed next year. University officials state the facility will enhance computing capacity for research and artificial intelligence initiatives and is designed to be energy efficient, aligning with Duke's climate commitments. It will be directly connected to Duke’s chilled water plant for cooling and is projected to increase the university's peak energy consumption by 2% to 3%.
The project's approval by the city of Durham occurred under an educational institution exemption, allowing it to proceed before a 60-day city-wide data center moratorium was enacted. However, local residents and environmental justice advocate Leslie St. Dre have voiced concerns about the lack of community feedback and the data center's potential energy and water impact, stating Duke already uses a significant amount of resources.
Simultaneously, the North Carolina General Assembly is considering statewide regulations and restrictions on data center energy and water use. Duke University is also exploring renewable energy options to power its new facility.