A city report recommends that local leaders take a new approach to regulating data centers as demand grows for the industry. The report suggests that data centers should be required to disclose their water and energy use.
Background
The city’s Sustainable Data Centers Report was drafted as officials aim to mitigate the environmental, public health, and quality of life impacts of data centers. Data centers house the computers needed for products like media streaming, artificial intelligence, and cloud storage. Chicago is home to about 39 data centers, most of which are in or near Downtown.
The working group’s recommendations include requiring data centers to disclose their water and energy use. The report also suggests that the city should support the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District in exploring the reuse of wastewater to cool data centers instead of using the city’s drinking water supply.
Community Concerns
The report notes that data centers often face resistance from neighbors due to concerns about water use and energy costs. The working group hosted a community conversation on data centers in May, where panelists advocated for local officials to boost transparency in the data center development process.
A proposed data center on the South Side has raised concerns among residents. The facility would have a power capacity of one gigawatt and would be built at the north end of the Quantum Shore Chicago megadevelopment.
Original reporting: Block Club Chicago — read the source article.
