There are ‘six Americas’ on climate change, but only two on data centers
Source: Fortune ·
Massachusetts is requiring local approval for state permits and Vermont towns are moving to ban facilities.
From the source
Regardless of their views on politics or climate change, most Americans oppose the development of data centers in their communities. These large buildings filled with computers that store and process digital information, increasingly to support various applications of artificial intelligence, are being built rapidly across the United States. They can bring economic investment and jobs, but the pollution created by generating the electricity they need can also harm public health, pollute air, use up water, create noise and raise energy costs. As more data centers are proposed, some local communities are pushing back against new and prospective projects. These debates are already influencing local zoning and permitting decisions, and increasingly reaching state lawmakers. In early September, Massachusetts Gov. Maura Healey issued an executive order that no state agency will issue permits for data center development unless the project already has local approval from the municipality…