By Katherine Tamburrano, Alliance Intern from the University of Texas – Austin ‘27
Artificial Intelligence (AI) is a rapidly expanding technology that is affecting nearly every aspect of our everyday lives, including our own backyards. Massive, football field-length AI data centers are rapidly being built nationwide to meet demand. However, there are serious energy, environmental, health and even economic threats from these centers that are being masked by a troubling lack of transparency with the public that must be addressed.
Water, Energy, Environmental and Health Challenges
In too many cases, the public is not aware of the significant impacts AI data centers pose for their way of life, well-being and community.
First, cooling these data centers requires massive amounts of water, up to 5 million gallons a day. This can lead to severe water shortages and even pollution from the chemical additives to the drinking water.
Second, data centers require massive amounts of energy – using more electricity than some cities, and even entire US states, according to companies developing the facilities. They can demand a gigawatt or more of power — one billion watts — or about twice the residential electricity consumption of the Pittsburgh area last year.
Third, while some developers are building renewable sources, many are resorting to climate-impacting natural gas. For example, Elon Musk’s massive new and embattled “Colossus” AI Data Center in Memphis requires 35 unpermitted temporary gas turbines that are pumping out hazardous pollutants. Environmentalists claim they are pumping out a level of emissions that is exacerbating the health issues of an impoverished minority community already crushed by decades of pollution and environmental injustice.
Lack of Transparency from Non-Disclosure Agreements
In too many cases, the companies developing data centers are requiring local officials to sign non-disclosure agreements (NDAs) preventing transparency about what exactly is being built and its impacts, despite centers often being built in proximity to our neighborhoods. In Hermantown, MN, one data center proposer made non-disclosure agreements with 20 government staff and at least 4 elected officials, according to the Minnesota Center for Environmental Advocacy (MCEA).
Both city staff and elected officials are responsible to their citizens to be fully transparent about proposed developments in their community. These officials are also responsible for conducting environmental reviews of developments like data centers to inform citizens about their impact on “access to water, electricity bills, and quality of life,” according to the MCEA.
However, if these same officials that are supposed to tell us the potential risks of such a development are under an NDA, they are bound by companies to not disclose. How can we trust them to be fully transparent about sharing this vital information with the public?
There is so much essential environmental impact information about data centers that could be lost through the use of NDAs. This includes how much electricity bills will rise as data centers tap into the same grid we use, draining its energy and skyrocketing prices. Some predictions show that by 2039 electricity bills will double due to data centers. And if gas turbines are used, the data centers will both pollute the local community and increase climate impacts, likely countering the best efforts and goals to counter climate action plans.
The astronomical water consumption by data centers also needs to be disclosed, along with its impacts. Drinking water is used to cool the technology, and it is treated with chemicals, thus turning valuable clean water into wastewater. If it’s released, it will pollute local waterways.
Require Transparency and the Right to Know: Stop AI Data Center NDAs
Clearly, the impacts of these AI data centers should not be hidden from the public by secret NDAs as they will affect the lives of you, your community and your environment. The public has a right to know.
You can take a big step in requiring transparency. Please join the Alliance in signing this MCEA letter telling your legislators and Governor Walz to forbid the use of NDAs to cover up data center development and ensure the public knows what is happening in their neighborhood.
Clean waer, no pesticides or plastics.