The Environmental Justice and Community Impacts of Data Centers

From small towns facing rising utility costs to global concerns about carbon emissions, the impact of the digital revolution extends well beyond server rooms. As worries and pressures grow over the rapid development of massive data centers, an issue rarely discussed is the impact on communities, particularly from an environmental justice perspective. To date, the focus has primarily been on the energy‐intensive nature of these centers, whether the electric grid can accommodate the increased demand associated with their operation, and on the water usage that may be required to operate them.