Key facts
- Residents in Philadelphia are protesting proposed AI data center sites, citing environmental and energy concerns.
- Activists compare potential data center impacts to those of a former oil refinery in Southwest Philadelphia.
- New York Governor Kathy Hochul has temporarily halted new permits for large data center projects.
- Several U.S. cities, including Denver and Indianapolis, have approved data center moratoriums.
- Data center construction is expected to significantly increase natural gas consumption and greenhouse gas emissions.
Residents in cities across the U.S. are increasingly opposing the construction of new AI data centers, citing environmental and energy concerns, and drawing parallels to the negative impacts of past heavy industry. In Philadelphia, activists like Shawmar Pitts and Sonya Sanders of Philly Thrive are leading a campaign for a data center moratorium, fearing increased pollution, noise, and strain on local resources, reminiscent of the health issues they attribute to the now-closed Philadelphia Energy Solutions refinery.
While data centers may not have the same severe environmental footprint as oil refineries, their rapid expansion driven by the AI boom raises significant concerns. BloombergNEF predicts that by 2035, U.S. data centers will consume more natural gas than Germany and Japan combined. The burning of natural gas for data centers is expected to generate an additional 1 million metric tons of greenhouse gas pollution daily, contributing to climate change and exacerbating heatwaves, according to Clean Air Council attorney Annie Fox. Harvard University researchers have previously linked fossil fuel air pollution to one in five deaths worldwide.
Concerns about pollution, water and electricity usage, and surveillance have resonated with local officials. In New York, Governor Kathy Hochul signed an executive order temporarily preventing the state from approving new permits for large data center projects, stating that such facilities should only be built where they are wanted. Similar moratoriums aimed at gathering more information on potential impacts have been approved in cities like Denver, Indianapolis, Asheville, Charlotte, and Reno.