Recent heat waves across the U.S. have led to nearly 160 million people receiving heat alerts. The Department of Energy recently declared a power emergency in the Southeast due to grid strain from heavy electric consumption. Data centers, which are expanding rapidly, contribute significantly to this rise in energy demand. They require extensive power and water for operations, thus burdening local communities. Advocates highlight that over half of data center electricity is still sourced from fossil fuels, worsening climate change and raising concerns about public health, especially in vulnerable areas.
The growth in electricity demand from data centers is threatening the South's transition away from fossil fuels and toward clean energy. Current projections indicate an increase in reliance on fossil fuels, further raising carbon emissions.
Data centers require extensive amounts of water to cool the machines and a significant amount of electricity or power to operate them, placing strains on entire communities.
Currently, about 56 percent of the electricity used to power US data centers comes from fossil fuels, and that number is expected to rise, exacerbating climate change.
In places like Memphis, Tennessee, a data center owned by Elon Musk depends on 35 methane gas turbines that funnel 1,200 to 2,000 tons of smog-forming nitrogen oxides per year into a community already burdened with high asthma rates.
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