Large data center projects are alarming residents in communities across the country with their land requirements and enormous demand for electricity and water. Is the construction of AI data centers disproportionate to the benefits they claim communities will receive?
The Archbald Project
Archbald, PA, is a small town of about 7,500 people situated in the Pocono Mountains, the nearest large city being Scranton. Archbald began life in the mid-1800s as a coal-mining town. Coal companies owned everything in Archbald at the time. Anthracite, the prized product of the town’s coal mines, was shipped to New York and Philadelphia for their energy needs until 1960, when a devastating flood put an end to the industry.
Today, modern technology is coming to Archbald in a big way. Members of the town council have agreed to the building of six hyperscale data centers. The campuses would consist of more than 1 million square feet of buildings, erected on 2.5 miles of land.
Recently, a town meeting was presided over by a real estate advisor who attempted to downplay the fact that the data centers would consume almost 14% of the town’s land. The developers will place several data centers on the property near the middle and high schools. Evacuate the residents of the trailer park, as some data center campuses will border several neighborhoods. Audience members were not pleased. Someone in the group pointed out that these mega data centers would be built over dozens of now-empty mine shafts that run beneath the town, signaling the fear of collapse.
Negative views are gathering speed.
A Facebook group has developed with more than 5,000 members; it’s called Stop Archbald Data Centers. But Archbald is only one example of opposition. Concerns about the construction of mega data centers in communities all over the country have grown. Those who are against the construction of these tech campuses cite rising electricity costs, the need for large amounts of water, noise, pollution, and the construction of data centers so close to residential neighborhoods.
A closer look
Archbald’s zoning agreement prohibits the construction of any oil, gas, or nuclear plants near the proposed data center locations. Nevertheless, the campuses will need hundreds of diesel backup generators. Residents who frequently rely on power should be concerned about the pollutants emitted by power generation, as these pollutants are linked to cancer and heart disease. Residents are also concerned about their privately owned water system. The data centers’ need for enormous amounts of water—millions of gallons per day—will likely raise water bills and even put residents’ drinking supply in jeopardy. On the other hand, data centers might also use the groundwater that accumulates in the deserted mine tunnels, a prospect that heightens concerns about large buildings collapsing into the empty mining structure beneath the town.
The possible rewards
Some of the concerns of Archbald residents tend toward nature and the environment. One woman expressed fears that hundreds of trees in the surrounding woods will be lost to data center construction. And with the changing environment, many kinds of wildlife would also be lost. However, the real estate advisor reminded attendees at the town meeting that the data centers planned for their community would produce upwards of \$20 million in property taxes, \$50 million for the county, and as much as \$100 million for the school district. Annually. While that is a great deal of money, Archbald residents still harbor plenty of concerns about the proposed data centers.
At Urban E Recycling, we hear about data center pros and cons since customers bring us used data center equipment for proper disposal. From what we know, the controversy has a long way to go. It will be interesting to keep up with the Archbald Project—and, in that respect, helpful to know about the residents’ Facebook page.
Mother Nature doesn’t want your old computers but we do.
