Stargate is a new $500 billion investment in AI in the United States. It’s a collaboration between the US government and companies like Meta and Open AI. The project seeks to expand AI centers in the US. It has $100 billion in funding to start. The rest of the funding will come over the next four years. Stargate expects to create 100,000 jobs. But many of those jobs will go away after the construction of AI data centers is complete. The need for space to build these centers will threaten forests across the Southern US.
AI data centers
The growing demand for data centers has been accelerating due to the use of AI services. Amazon recently bought close to 600 acres of land in Ohio to build a large data center to support its AI products. Building these data centers is already having an impact on Southern communities. Ashburn, Virginia is home to more than 250 data centers within its city limits. North Carolina has 69 data centers. Many are in or near Charlotte and Raleigh.
The construction for Stargate data centers has already begun. Tech company Oracle is now building a data center in Texas to support the initiative. Many more will start construction in Alabama, Georgia, and South Carolina.
How is AI affecting communities?
People living near these data centers complain of noise levels. The machinery runs 24 hours a day. The facilities also place a burden on the power needs of many communities. They’re causing a surge in the cost of electricity in their areas. Georgia Power expects power demand to triple over the next decade. This increased power demand will spike the use of fossil fuels to meet the needs of these centers.
How is AI affecting the environment?
These data centers are competing for space in urban areas. And some are starting to move into more green spaces. Biomass company Drax wants to use its wood pellet operations to support the AI boom. Threatening more forests for building and powering these data centers.
These data centers also use a lot of water. For example, Google’s data centers used 355 million gallons of water in 2021. That amount will grow as more centers get up and running. This will make water scarce in regions that need it.
What can you do to help?
Stargate may try to speed up the building of data centers, but all hope is not lost. We can continue to fight companies like Drax from cutting trees to power these centers. Opposition from communities can slow their progress.