Data centers for AI use huge amounts of electricity, water, driving up costs and climate concerns

Data centers that power AI are consuming massive amounts of electricity and water, raising environmental and cost concerns. According to experts, a typical AI data center can use as much power as 100,000 households and up to 5 million gallons of water per day. This has led to issues like polluting diesel generators and disproportionate impacts on marginalized communities near rural data centers. Some cities, like Naperville and Aurora, are taking action to address these problems, pausing new data center development and implementing stricter regulations around energy, water usage, and community engagement.