Beware the environmental impact of mega data centres – the heat emitted could cause ‘heat islands that raise temperatures by 28 F
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“Utah State University physics professor Robert Davies has calculated that the Stratos project will dump 16 gigawatts (GW) of thermal energy into Hansel Valley daily – equivalent to the detonation of 23 atom bombs. [2] The project would consume 9 GW of electricity, primarily from a natural gas pipeline, and the waste heat from servers and a massive on-site gas plant will turn Utah’s semi-arid climate into a Saharan-like desert. Local nighttime temperatures could rise by 28 F, devastating the fragile Great Salt Lake ecosystem and collapsing agriculture and worsening dust pollution.
“The lack of due diligence is stunning: no independent environmental impact study, no binding commitments on water or air and no public hearings worth the name. This secrecy is not an isolated case – across the nation, data center projects are being pushed through with minimal oversight, straining power grids and raising electricity costs for ordinary citizens. [9]
“Meanwhile, the AI industry’s insatiable energy demand is already causing ripple effects. Texas approved the largest U.S. air pollution permit for a 7.65 GW gas plant and data center complex, and the PJM grid faces capacity crunch due to AI server power consumption. “]
“This is not a distant threat. The United States is already experiencing unprecedented heat domes and record-breaking temperatures, with the southern half of the nation being baked by extreme drought and wildfires. [6] [7] Adding a permanent heat island of this magnitude will push Utah past a tipping point.”
“If we allow this secrecy and rush to stand, the precedent will crush trust in government for a generation – and the physical damage may be irreversible. The Great Salt Lake, already shrinking, cannot withstand another thermal assault. The agriculture and ecology of the region are on the line.”
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