A Chinese security guard walks past the Big Data research center in Guiyang, capital of Guizhou Province, in 2018. Countries around the world are rapidly building data centers, but environmental groups in the United States have asked Congress to create a moratorium on new data centers. File Photo by Stephen Shaver/UPI | License Photo
A group of 250 environmental organizations sent a letter to Congress asking it to stop companies from building new data centers, which create “one of the biggest environmental and social threats of our generation.”
The state, regional and national organizations, which include Greenpeace USA, the John Muir Project, Food & Water Watch, the Coalition Against Cryptomining and the Partnership for Policy Integrity, said the harms of data centers are extensive.
“This expansion is rapidly increasing demand for energy, driving more fossil fuel pollution, straining water resources and raising electricity prices across the country,” the letter said. “All this compounds the significant and concerning impacts [artificial intelligence] is having on society, including lost jobs, social instability and economic concentration.”
The group asked for a moratorium on data centers.
“We urge you to join our call for a national moratorium on new data centers until adequate regulations can be enacted to fully protect our communities, our families, our environment and our health from the runaway damage this industry is already inflicting,” the letter said.
Cryptocurrency and AI have boosted the world’s increasing reliance on data, which has created a huge escalation in data center building. The rise has spurred concern that an AI bubble will happen.
Power-hungry data centers pressure local grids causing them to exceed their load capacities, Gizmodo reported. They could cause winter blackouts in places such as Texas. In 2021, about 250 people died in a Texas power shortage.
Though some states have begun passing laws regulating AI and data centers, President Donald Trump said Monday that he plans to write an executive order banning state laws that restrict AI.
Trump posted on Truth Social: “There must be only One Rulebook if we are going to continue to lead in AI. We are beating ALL COUNTRIES at this point in the race, but that won’t last long if we are going to have 50 States, many of them bad actors, involved in RULES and the APPROVAL PROCESS. THERE CAN BE NO DOUBT ABOUT THIS! AI WILL BE DESTROYED IN ITS INFANCY! I will be doing a ONE RULE Executive Order this week,” he wrote. “You can’t expect a company to get 50 Approvals every time they want to do something. THAT WILL NEVER WORK!”
This move likely will be challenged in court because the president doesn’t have the authority to block state legislation.
Christie’s displays early computers, art from staff
A Cray-1 Supercomputer is on display as part of “Gen One: Innovations” from the Paul G. Allen Collection at Christie’s in New York City on August 12, 2024. The collection of early computers will have its auction from September 6-9. Photo by John Angelillo/UPI | License Photo
