Do You Know? Data centers could account for more than 5 percent of global electricity demand by 2035, according to analysis discussed by WIRED. Yet climate change is often not the leading concern among people opposing new facilities.
Data center projects are facing growing public resistance, with critics raising concerns about water use, electricity costs, air pollution and noise. Climate groups are joining that opposition, but the broader movement has generally emphasized immediate local impacts rather than emissions.
This tension was visible during a Climate Week panel about artificial intelligence and data centers, where members of Extinction Rebellion NYC repeatedly interrupted speakers. The protests focused on harms associated with AI and fossil-fuel power. Security removed the protesters after roughly 10 minutes of disruptions.
What is driving the backlash?
Public opposition has expanded as data center projects and moratoriums appear in both Democratic and Republican states, according to the report. Polling cited by WIRED indicates that climate is often among the lower-ranked environmental concerns connected to data centers, behind water, energy use and its effect on household bills, as well as local air and noise pollution.
Those priorities reflect the concerns of communities located near proposed or existing facilities. During the panel, Crusoe cofounder and president Cully Cavness pointed to potential benefits for local tax bases, while Emerald AI’s Varun Sivaram argued that data centers could help modernize the electricity grid and bring more clean energy online.
Why climate concerns are becoming harder to ignore
The report says the expected growth in electricity demand is also encouraging new fossil-fuel generation. BloombergNEF analysts discussed projections for a substantial increase in fossil-fuel power demand in the coming years, driven primarily by data centers.
- Data centers are projected to represent more than 5 percent of global electricity demand by 2035.
- Their electricity needs are projected to triple from current levels.
- Most of that demand is expected to be met by new and existing natural-gas plants.
- The resulting growth could increase power-sector emissions by 6 percent in less than 10 years.
A separate BloombergNEF analysis of 99 proposed on-site gas plants found that, if all were built, they could increase US power-sector emissions by 20 to 33 percent. The analysis also found that new demand could help keep some coal plants operating longer, offsetting emissions reductions from coal retirements.
Local opposition and national consequences
William Lawrence, a congressional candidate in Michigan’s 7th District and an original founder of the Sunrise Movement, has made opposition to data centers and AI part of his campaign platform. He said at least three hyperscalers are building projects in his district.
Lawrence’s platform says data centers threaten air, water and quality of life, but does not specifically mention climate change. He told WIRED that Michigan residents do raise climate concerns, although water and electricity bills tend to rank higher. He described the broader movement as driven by environmental concerns that are not always expressed in terms of emissions.
The result is a divide between immediate community concerns and the wider climate implications of powering new facilities. Even if operators reduce worries about water use and electricity bills, the fossil-fuel infrastructure built to serve data centers could affect emissions far beyond the communities where the facilities are located.
What happens next?
The report also highlights efforts to make gas-powered data center generation more efficient. A startup is working on supercritical carbon dioxide technology that could be attached to existing gas turbines. The technology has been studied for decades but has not yet been successfully commercialized, and it would not eliminate emissions entirely.
Whether data center operators can become partners in a cleaner electricity system remains unresolved. The sector’s rapidly expanding power demand could support new clean-energy projects, but current projections indicate that fossil fuels are likely to supply much of the near-term growth.
Read the original report from WIRED.
Frequently asked questions
What are people most concerned about?
The concerns cited in the report include water use, energy consumption and its effect on bills, local air pollution and noise.
How much electricity could data centers use?
BloombergNEF analysis discussed in the report projects that data centers could account for more than 5 percent of global electricity demand by 2035.
Why does this matter for climate change?
Much of the projected new electricity demand is expected to be supplied by natural-gas plants, potentially increasing power-sector emissions.
Can technology reduce the impact?
A startup is developing supercritical carbon dioxide technology to improve the efficiency of gas turbines, but the technology has not yet been successfully commercialized and would not eliminate emissions entirely.
Bottom Line
Data center opposition is gaining momentum, but climate change is often overshadowed by local concerns about water, bills, air quality and noise. The larger climate reckoning may depend on whether the industry’s electricity demand accelerates a cleaner grid or a new fossil-fuel buildout.
Source
This report is based on information published by WIRED.
