What we do and don't know about the environmental impact of data centers
Data center development in Ohio, Kentucky, and Indiana is raising environmental concerns, particularly regarding electricity demand and water usage. Experts emphasize that impacts depend on specific project details and siting, while local communities voice anxieties over potential health and ecological effects. Regional studies are underway to assess water resource vulnerability in areas experiencing high data center growth.
The rapid expansion of data centers across Ohio, Kentucky, and Indiana has sparked significant environmental concerns, according to a WVXU series on the issue. Experts like Ted Smith, an environmental health researcher at the University of Louisville, note that the environmental impact is highly dependent on factors such as siting, cooling systems, and power sources. Communities have expressed anxiety over potential health effects from emissions, noise, and water quality impacts, with Smith highlighting a lack of epidemiological research on these issues.
Ohio, which ranks fifth nationally in data center concentration, has over 200 planned or existing facilities, with a 10-gigawatt campus by SoftBank and the U.S. government proposed in Pike County. The Data Center Coalition's Vice President for State Policy, Dan Diorio, told the Ohio House and Senate Select Committee on Data Centers that hyperscale data centers, which began proliferating around 2020, are driving a substantial increase in electricity demand. PJM Interconnection, which manages the power grid for 13 states including Ohio, has identified data centers as the primary driver of demand growth, potentially leading to higher consumer prices and exceeding the grid's current capabilities by 2039.
Concerns also extend to air pollution from fossil fuel power plants that supply electricity to data centers, contributing to respiratory illnesses and global warming. Jeff Bielicki, Associate Research Director at the Ohio State University Sustainability Institute, stated that about 80% of Ohio's electricity generation undermines environmental well-being. Policy makers and PJM are exploring solutions like requiring data centers to supply their own power, and while many new power projects are solar-based, the reliability of renewable energy is a concern. The article also notes the potential use of battery backup systems to reduce emissions from onsite generators.
Water usage is identified as the most significant local environmental concern. A report by Ohio University’s Voinovich School indicates a single large Ohio facility can use as much water annually as approximately 24,500 people. Organizations like the Miami Conservancy District (MCD) are studying the vulnerability of vital underground water sources like the Great Miami Buried Valley Aquifer, which serves millions in Southwest Ohio. Sarah Hippensteel Hall of MCD stressed the need for careful stewardship, warning against treating water as an afterthought. While the industry is developing water-efficient cooling systems, these often increase electricity usage, creating a trade-off. State agencies, including the Ohio EPA and Ohio Department of Natural Resources, are also conducting water resource studies in regions with heavy data center development.