Bay Area cities move to restrict new data centre construction

Summarised from Al Jazeera's report · Updated 3 Nov, 11:17 · Archive

At least seven Bay Area cities have passed data centre moratoriums amid concerns about energy demands and costs.

Protesters gathered outside Oakland City Hall last month to oppose new data centre construction, concerned that the facilities would strain the energy grid and raise local electricity bills. 'Power prices have gone up so much in Oakland that some people are thinking of shutting off their power,' said Carlos Gutierrez, an activist for Communities for a Better Environment, 'and the city is planning to provide power to a data centre instead.'

Data centres require 24-hour power and large quantities of water to cool their processors. Even with cooling systems, they emit significant heat, raising land surface temperatures by as much as 9 degrees Celsius. More than 3,000 data centres already operate in the United States, with more than 1,500 others in development, according to the Pew Research Center.

The backlash is particularly striking in the San Francisco Bay Area, home to major AI companies including Anthropic, OpenAI and Meta. Data centres house the computer chips and servers needed to run AI services, and opposition to their expansion has become part of the midterm election debate in the region.

Read the report

• California’s Bay Area debates data centres ahead of US midterm electionsAt least seven Bay Area cities have passed data centre moratoriums, despite the region's reputation as an AI hub.Al Jazeera · 3 Nov, 05:13

In this story: Oakland · San Francisco Bay Area · California · Anthropic · OpenAI · Meta · Communities for a Better Environment · Carlos Gutierrez

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