Communities facing decisions regarding hyperscale large AI data centers must consider both the opportunities and the environmental challenges. Data centers can provide economic investment, tax revenue, infrastructure improvements, and job growth during construction.  Data Centers can provide economic support for public schools, fire and safety departments, and other governmental services. However, they raise serious questions about infrastructure improvements, including roads, the energy grid, emergency services, land use, long-term planning, zoning, water and energy resources, tax incentives, and economic development.

Hyperscale centers that operate 24/7 consume the most natural resources and pose the greatest risks to the environment, climate, and quality of life for those who work or live near them. Data centers' high energy demand could push utilities to raise rates, build new fossil fuel plants, and delay retiring coal plants. At the same time, data centers may also rely on backup diesel generators. These actions will contribute to poor air quality and increase air pollution.

Data centers and AI provide Cloud storage and data processing that enable data analysis that generates advances that benefit society, including medical research, health care, science, engineering, predictions of extreme weather, and improved governmental planning during emergencies.  The data center power plan must be reviewed and verified to ensure minimal environmental impact and protect local ratepayers. Energy use must be outlined to indicate how air quality will be maintained, including use of batteries and renewable energy. The Data Center must outline how it will mitigate quality-of-life impacts, including light, noise, increased pollution, infrastructure development, and impacts on household budgets. Water use must be documented, including water conservation methods, with an outline of how the center will protect both the quality and quantity of water and protect local ratepayers. 

Recent Concerns about the risks of artificial intelligence, and whether the companies building it are doing enough to keep it safe, have recently erupted. These new revelations raise additional concerns about the need for government and international regulations to protect us and the world. Regulations, permits, and zoning can mitigate impacts on the environment and community. Open transparency is necessary for citizen oversight in the siting process and for developing safeguards through regulations, permits, and zoning.

The need for transparency in the siting and permitting process, as well as the use of regulations, will protect the community, the public, and the environment from potential impacts of Data Centers.

1. Open Transparency is necessary for citizen oversight in the siting process and the development of safeguards protecting the community from the environmental impacts of data centers. Data centers' requirement for confidentiality is a complicated concern, including their need to protect sensitive data, ensure compliance (legal and regulatory), reduce data breaches, and safeguard their competitive advantage. Transparency is further complicated by using private equity firms to avoid taking on debt.  Private equity firms demand confidential agreements prior to providing funds to build the center. Transparency is essential; the developer must engage and communicate with the community and listen to and address their concerns and comments.

2. Use of regulation and zoning for Data Centers can mitigate the impacts on natural resources, including water, air, land, and energy, and communities:

• manage soaring energy demands, including impacts on air quality and rates.
• manage water use to protect water quality and reduce impacts on water rates
• mitigate quality of life impacts of data centers, including light, noise, increased pollution, infrastructure development, health, and household budgets. and the increase in utility rates.
• ensure that the Data Center pays its share of the costs of the environmental impacts. 
• Protect the community if the data center leaves early.

The data center power plan must be reviewed and verified to ensure minimal impact on the environment and to protect the local ratepayers. Energy use must be outlined to indicate how air quality will be maintained, including use of batteries and renewable energy.

The Data Center must outline how it will mitigate quality of life impacts, including light, noise, increase in pollution, infrastructure development, and the impacts on household budgets.

Water use must be documented, including water conservation methods, with an outline of how the center will protect both the quality and quantity of water and reduce impacts on water rates.

All private enterprises, including AI Data Centers, should pay the costs for water, land, and energy development projects. The public should not bear the financial or environmental burdens created by private development. The large-scale nature of a Data Center requires the consideration of environmental, public health, social, quality-of-life, and economic impacts of proposed plans and actions. Environmental impact assessment must be performed with methods outlined to mitigate adverse impacts before the projects move forward.

Concerns about data centers can be addressed but will require cooperation by government, regulators, institutions, non-profits, communities, and the public.

Comprehensive long-range planning is necessary for data center permitting. This planning requires adequate data, a full review of the environmental, social, and economic impacts of data centers, and a detailed environmental impact assessment to be completed.  Coordinated decision-making among governments, agencies, regulators, and the public must support energy, water, and land use that reflects conservation and wise management of resources for current and future generations.

Numerous presentations from LWVUS Climate Interest Groups, LWV IL, ILO WV UMRR, and ILO LWV Lake Michigan have identified League positions on water, energy, land, and environmental justice that can be used to justify both education and advocacy on Data Centers. League Positions that support both education and advocacy on Data Centers can be found HERE.

Impact on Issues (p. 107) includes comprehensive long-range planning, consideration of environmental, public health, social, and economic impacts of proposed plans and actions, protection of public health and environment, coordination of government responsibilities, regional, interregional, and international cooperation when appropriate, procedures for resolving disputes and litigation of adverse impacts, special responsibility of each level of government for land, air, energy, and water resources and the protection, conservation, and sustainability of natural resources.

Links to LWV presentations/webinars and other references can be found HERE.