Public pressure mounts against data center projects
A wave of public protests is focusing on new data center projects.
More than 230 organizations, including several prominent environmental groups, signed a letter urging Congress to support a national moratorium on new data centers. Their complaints include rising electricity costs and significant water consumption by data centers.
“The rapid, largely unregulated rise of data centers to fuel the AI and crypto frenzy is disrupting communities across the country and threatening Americans’ economic, environmental, climate, and water security,” the letter says. A recent survey found that eight in 10 consumers were worried that data centers could drive up their utility bills.
Energy demand for data centers is expected to nearly triple over the next 10 years, rising from 40 gigawatts today to 106 gigawatts in 2035. Much of that growth is expected in rural areas.
