Community Organizations Discuss Efforts to Fight Data Centers
Community organizations from across California convened to discuss strategies for combating the proliferation of data centers in their communities. The discussion highlighted concerns about the massive energy and water consumption of generative AI-driven hyperscale data centers, as well as their environmental harms like noise and emissions. Participants also addressed the lack of transparency in data center project approvals due to NDAs.
Community organizations representing various regions of California recently held an online webinar to discuss coordinated efforts to oppose the increasing development of data centers within their communities. Representatives from Power California, Loud For Tomorrow, Move The Valley, Food and Water Watch, and Green Latinos participated, sharing insights on community-led strategies and ways for others to get involved.
Daniel Probello of Reclaim Our Power moderated a segment focused on the fight in Southern California. He clarified that while data centers have existed for decades, current hyperscale facilities supporting generative AI are significantly larger, consuming vastly more energy and water. Probello cited an MIT Energy Initiative report indicating a single hyperscale data center can use as much electricity as 50,000 homes, with energy demand projected to reach 9% by 2030, a 5% increase from 2023.
Probello also challenged claims about these new data centers utilizing recycled water, explaining that open cooling systems evaporate millions of gallons daily, while closed-loop systems still average 500,000 gallons of water. The San Francisco Chronicle reports over 24 major data centers are proposed or planned for California, adding to the existing 296, though no generative AI hyperscale centers are currently operational in the state.
He emphasized that many proposed data center projects are approved without community transparency due to Non-Disclosure Agreements. Probello advised communities and advocates to seek information through local papers, city council agendas, economic development corporations, land sales, rezoning applications, and by tracking major tech companies like Amazon, Google, Meta, Microsoft, Apple, OpenAI, and Oracle. Data center maps are also available as public resources.