A crowd gathered in front of the Tepeyac Community Health Center in north Denver to protest a new data center being built by CoreSite, a Denver-based data center developer. The data center, known as DE3, will rely on 14 backup diesel generators, which has raised concerns about air pollution in the already heavily polluted neighborhood.

Community Concerns

Local activists, including Harmony Cummings with the Green House Connection Center, have been working to highlight the issues with the data center and push for stricter regulations. The community is concerned about the impact of the data center on the local environment and public health.

Recently, the Denver City Council voted unanimously to impose a one-year moratorium on new data center development. This decision means that CoreSite cannot proceed with its expansion plans until the city can develop new regulations for data centers.

Actress and activist Jane Fonda attended the gathering and spoke about the need for regulations to ensure that data centers use clean energy resources. Fonda emphasized that while AI is here to stay, it’s essential to regulate its impact on the environment.

State Sen. Cathy Kipp is working on a revised bill to regulate data centers, which would require them to purchase renewable energy and provide greater transparency to local communities. The community is hopeful that these efforts will lead to stricter regulations and a reduction in the environmental impact of data centers.

Original reporting: Denverite — read the source article.