Environmental The Data Center Next Door

The AI build-out is landing hard on host communities. A mid-sized data center can use as much water as a small town; some consume up to 5 million gallons a day, and a 2025 SourceMaterial/Guardian report found Google operating seven data centers in water-scarce US areas with six more planned. Cooling systems and generators run 24/7 — noise can exceed 105 dB, and neighbors report headaches, vertigo, nausea, sleep disturbance and a constant ringing. Diesel backup generators raise respiratory-illness risk, and these facilities disproportionately land near marginalized communities. In 2025, local opposition delayed or cancelled an estimated $156 billion in projects.