Are data centers inherently bad? At the moment, much of the US seems to think so, as calls for safeguards, moratoriums, and bans proliferate across the country. Technology companies and its proponents argue that the construction of these data centers are necessary to compete on the global stage in matters of innovation and the artificial intelligence race. Opponents argue that the costs outweigh the benefits, especially as these data centers compete with civilians for energy and water resources, and additionally increase costs to them, negating any tax benefits. Data centers do not create additional local jobs, and can cause noise, light, and air pollution, along with increasing energy costs to people living in the area. 

What’s Happened In CA So Far:

• Monterey Park is the first city in the nation to vote and pass a permanent data center ban. 

• Alhambra, the next city over, has also put a data center ban on its November ballot. 

• An infrastructure company called Global Stack which only incorporated in California in March, is drawing attention and backlash for its proposals to build data centers on California’s fairgrounds, including 8 in the Bay Area. 

• In Hayward, a large data center project was summarily approved without much comment or public awareness. Did you know that in Hayward, data centers are currently classified as offices, even though they require very different needs?

•  California’s largest data center is suing for access to the Colorado River’s water, and asking to redirect water being used from agriculture to the facility. 

What Should Be Considered With Data Centers, Bans, and Moratoriums? 

It should be clear by now that there is hunger for transparency, regulations, and the assurance that data center construction would not impact humans in costs or health. There is now movement and demand for data centers to be powered by hydrogen rather than gas or relying on the state’s electrical grid, which alleviates some of the concerns regarding water and energy. However, hydrogen also comes with its own issues, and may be just as “dirty” as the usual suspects. Google and Verizon revealed a $1 billion deal for Google data centers to be linked using Verizon’s dark fiber routes, and retrofitting some of its own existing infrastructure to become mini data centers.  Whether or not our communities want to live with data centers in our backyards, there should be careful consideration of its effects. What sort of cooling system will it have? Where will the data centers discharge its waste? How will the data center minimize its noise and light pollution? What tax benefits will it bring to the community? Who is funding the construction of the data center? Opposition is growing not only due to these concerns, but also due to the lack of transparency from local elected officials. For example, an Amazon data center already being built in Gilroy bypassed its city council because the area was already zoned for industrial use, has now sparked anger among residents who were unaware and has now caught the attention of famed activist Erin Brockovich.

ICYMI

• Dr. Anthony Fauci invoked his Fifth Amendment right not to self-incriminate more than 100 times during a recent Senate hearing with Republicans attacking him for his handling of the COVID-19 pandemic.  

• Cyclospora outbreaks have hit 45 states and sickened an estimated 18,000 people.

• Michigan confirms two fatalities connected to cyclospora outbreak.  

• Measles cases have surpassed last year’s total in the US. 

• Trump changes a program created in the Nixon era that focused on pregnancy prevention, to one that now encourages pregnancy. 

• New robotic mastectomy offers East Bay breast cancer patient a less-invasive option.

• House cat in Pleasanton infected with rabies, likely bit by rabid bat.

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