Environmental experts explain data center benefits, risks for communities
Environmental experts and activists are weighing the potential risks and benefits of data centers for communities, focusing on concerns like water and energy usage, and air quality. Local discussions in Ypsilanti, Michigan, involve opposition to a University of Michigan/Los Alamos National Laboratory project and proposals for regulatory strategies like moratoriums.
Environmental scientists Christopher Gellasch from Eastern Michigan University and climate activist Peter Sinclair discussed the growing debate around data centers, highlighting their significant water and energy demands. Gellasch explained that while closed-loop cooling systems can mitigate water usage, hyperscale data centers often act as large industrial complexes, straining power grids and potentially burning fossil fuels, impacting air quality through backup generators.
In Ypsilanti, Michigan, residents and legislators have actively opposed a data center planned by the University of Michigan and the Los Alamos National Laboratory for over a year. The article also references Google's proposed Project Cannoli in Van Buren Charter Township, Michigan, which includes commitments to new solar power resources and self-funding energy usage. Environmental groups and local government officials, including Missy Staltz from the City of Ann Arbor and Sean McBrearty of Clean Water Action, have proposed various regulatory strategies during public discussions. These include requiring long-term developer commitments, implementing local moratoriums to allow for study, and mandating subsidization of community resources.
Experts agree that completely rejecting data center technology is unrealistic, likening it to "Pandora's box." Instead, they advocate for informed community engagement and robust regulation to mitigate harms and leverage potential benefits, such as subsidized clean energy infrastructure or improved water utility funding through developer contributions. The Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy (EGLE) is noted as the primary regulatory body for controlling air quality from data center emissions.