American Parents Coalition releases guide for evaluating data center projects

The American Parents Coalition has released a guide designed to help families evaluate the impact of proposed data center developments in their communities. The initiative comes amid growing national concerns regarding the environmental and social costs of data centers, specifically regarding water consumption, noise, and electricity usage driven by the demand for artificial intelligence.

The guide encourages parents to ask developers four primary questions: what the project will contribute to the town, the source of its water, its total power requirements, and its plans for community interaction. The coalition notes that while some projects face backlash, others provide significant economic benefits. For example, data centers support nearly half of the property taxes in Loudoun County, Virginia, which hosts approximately 250 facilities.

Additionally, the guide highlights advancements in sustainable technology, noting that some newer facilities use air cooling to reduce water dependency. A Microsoft data center in Boydton, Virginia, is cited as an example, utilizing outside air for cooling approximately 85 percent of the year.