A primer for Las Vegas on the functions, benefits and dangers of data centers
This article serves as a primer on data centers, detailing their functions and impacts, with a focus on local developments in Nevada. It addresses environmental concerns related to water and electricity consumption, as well as noise pollution. Locally, Switch received approval for an expansion in Clark County, while Boulder City is engaged in a dispute with the Bureau of Land Management over land re-zoning for data center use.
The Las Vegas Weekly has published a primer on data centers, describing them as essential but mysterious facilities for storing data and powering artificial intelligence (AI). The article notes Nevada currently hosts 76 data centers, with 36 in Las Vegas, and highlights a national trend of significant growth in the industry despite limited job creation per site.
Robert Rippee, a consultant on AI and former executive director of UNLV’s Black Fire Innovation Hub, explains the difference between traditional data storage centers and modern GPU-driven centers that fuel AI applications, emphasizing the immense computational workloads and resulting heat generation. Cooling these facilities requires substantial water, with global consumption projected to reach 4.5 trillion liters by 2025. Locally, Olivia Tanager, director of the Sierra Club’s Toiyabe chapter, notes that the Southern Nevada Water Authority has banned evaporative cooling, prompting many data centers to adopt closed-loop water recycling systems.
The article also addresses environmental concerns such as noise pollution, citing reports of health issues experienced by residents near a Texas data center due to constant humming. Additionally, it highlights the immense electricity consumption, with data centers projected to become the world's sixth-largest consumer by 2030.
On a local level, Boulder City is reportedly in a dispute with the Bureau of Land Management over the re-zoning of land from solar energy to data center use. Concurrently, Switch recently secured approval from Clark County for a nine-acre expansion of its southwest Valley campus. Governor Joe Lombardo is noted for his enthusiasm for rapid data center development, prompting calls from environmental advocates like Tanager for greater public engagement with elected officials regarding these impacts.