Extreme heat adds to strains on data centers and tensions in host communities

Key Points:

• Residents in Lowell, Massachusetts, like 82-year-old Eileen Castle, are concerned about the environmental and health impacts of a nearby data center, particularly due to its industrial air conditioners and diesel generators affecting air quality during heat waves.
• Data centers consume significant energy and water to cool servers, especially during heat waves, sometimes relying on backup diesel generators that can harm local air quality, posing risks to vulnerable communities.
• The Lowell data center operator, Markley Group, claims limited emergency use of generators and has planted over 2,000 trees to improve air quality, but local opposition has grown, leading the city council to impose a one-year moratorium on further data center expansion.
• Experts note that while data center electricity demand growth is moderate nationally, the local environmental and economic impacts in communities hosting these facilities can be significant, especially during extreme heat when cooling demands spike.
• Community tensions in Lowell have escalated around data center expansion, highlighted by a recent heated city forum where a teenager was detained after protesting, reflecting deep divisions between opponents concerned about health and environmental effects and supporters emphasizing economic benefits.