Data centers draw ire for heavy water, electricity use

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Communities across the U.S. are concerned about the environmental impact and rising utility costs associated with new data centers.

Local governments are enacting zoning ordinances to gain more control over data center development, requiring public hearings and impact reports.

Data centers, needed for digital services and AI, consume massive amounts of electricity and water, equivalent to the usage of a small town.

When local activist Frank Arcoleo found out over the summer that a data center was coming to his neighborhood in Lancaster, Pennsylvania, he said he was furious. There’d been no votes or public hearings.

The first phase of the data center project under development there only required administrative approval from a few city officials, based on the buildin