Heat wave strains data centers, intensifies AI debate in Lowell community
7 reported
Extreme heat sweeping the eastern U.S. is driving up energy demands for data centers, adding strain on power grids and worsening air quality for surrounding areas, according to a report from ABC News. In Lowell, Massachusetts, resident Eileen Castle, 82, said she will not fill her swimming pool this summer due to concerns about air quality and water effects from a nearby data center operated by the Markley Group. The facility sits in the Sacred Heart neighborhood, which the state government has designated as facing higher environmental and health risks due to a historically excluded population. State Rep. Tara Hong, a Democrat representing a heavily Cambodian American district in Lowell, described the area as majority low-income and working families. The Markley Group said it has planted more than 2,000 trees to improve air quality, and CEO Jeff Markley stated the company has switched on generators in an emergency only a handful of times. Lowell’s City Council voted 10-0 in February to pass a one-year moratorium blocking further data center expansion. Tensions escalated this week when police temporarily detained a 14-year-old girl who spoke out of turn at a city-led community forum on data center zoning.
What’s reported
Eileen Castle, 82, said she will not fill her swimming pool due to concerns about air quality and water effects from a nearby data center.
The Markley Group operates the Lowell data center and has planted more than 2,000 trees nearby to improve air quality.
CEO Jeff Markley said generators are switched on only during actual power disruptions plus brief weekly testing.
The Lowell facility uses about 118,000 gallons of water per day at peak summer, a small fraction of the city's daily consumption.
Lowell’s City Council voted 10-0 in February to pass a one-year moratorium on data center expansion.
Police temporarily detained a 14-year-old girl who spoke out of turn at a city-led community forum on data center zoning.
The North American Electric Reliability Corporation issued an alert about “unprecedented challenges from a surge in large power consumers” and developed guidelines for AI data centers.
Key figures
Eileen Castle, 82, Lowell resident
State Rep. Tara Hong, Democrat representing a heavily Cambodian American district in Lowell
Shaolei Ren, professor at University of California, Riverside
Jeff Markley, CEO of Markley Group
Jonathan Koomey, researcher studying data centers for 30 years
Lowell Mayor Erik Gitschier, nonpartisan office
Sources: abcnews.com
