What are the environmental impacts of large data centers?

Two new data centers were recently announced in North Carolina, bringing with them billions of dollars in investment and hundreds of high-tech jobs. Both centers will rely on massive amounts of electricity and water, both of which impact the environment.

As the demand for cloud computing and artificial intelligence grows, so does the need for energy. Hundreds of megawatts are required to power large-scale data centers’ servers. And millions of gallons of water are used daily for evaporative cooling. 

UNC at Greensboro geography professor Corey Johnson says one concern is energy availability.

"Particularly in these fast-growing states like North Carolina, the reserve capacity is shrinking," says Johnson. "They're taking certain power generation facilities offline, just as you do, because, you know, they get outdated, and maybe they're using a fuel that's not great, such as coal. And then the question is, well, how do you replace that? Or how do you increase capacity if you're going to increase the use of electricity?" 

Johnson says as the chips being used in data centers become more efficient, the energy demands — particularly non-renewable fossil fuel energy — will continue to shrink. As for water needs, Johnson cautions that while North Carolina is water-rich, it sustains agricultural, municipal, and industrial needs, and droughts do happen.