Equinix addresses data center concerns in Elk Grove Village, Illinois
Fox News explored an Equinix data center in Elk Grove Village, Illinois, to understand the community's concerns about data center operations. The company addressed issues like high electricity consumption, water usage, and noise pollution. Equinix highlighted its closed-loop cooling system that eliminates water use and demonstrated ambient noise levels outside its facility.
Fox News senior correspondent Mike Tobin reported from an Equinix data center in Elk Grove Village, a suburb of Chicago, Illinois, offering a rare look inside the facility. The report addressed growing community concerns about data centers ahead of the midterms.
Equinix, which operates 280 data centers globally, housing servers for 10,000 clients including two-thirds of Fortune 500 companies, allowed a glimpse into its operations. Tobin explained that data centers like this are behind everyday transactions and the "inside of the cloud.
Key community complaints highlighted in the report included the significant electricity consumption, with this particular facility using 34 megawatts compared to Soldier Field's 20 megawatts during a Bears game. Opponents also complain about data centers driving up electricity costs and excessive water use. Equinix responded by showcasing its "closed loop system" for cooling, which does not use water, and also addressed noise concerns by noting that the noise outside their facility was primarily from airplanes due to its location on the flight path to O'Hare.