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The AI data center boom is colliding with cities scarred by big industry

1 h ago

Philadelphia residents, led by activist Shawmar Pitts and environmental justice group Philly Thrive, are pushing for a moratorium on AI data center construction over environmental and health concerns, reflecting a growing national opposition to data center expansion driven by fears of pollution, energy strain, and community harm. Pitts, a lifelong Grays Ferry resident who witnessed the health impacts of a nearby oil refinery that shut down in 2019, now co-directs Philly Thrive and helped launch the "No Data Centers in Philly" campaign. While no formal proposals exist, city officials have identified two potential sites, including Pitts’ neighborhood. Opponents argue data centers will bring pollution, noise, and limited jobs, citing BloombergNEF’s prediction that U.S. data centers will consume more natural gas than Germany and Japan combined by 2035, generating an extra 1 million metric tons of daily greenhouse gas emissions. Harvard research links fossil fuel air pollution to one in five deaths globally. Similar pushback has led to moratoriums in New York (via Governor Hochul’s executive order), Denver, Indianapolis, Asheville, Charlotte, and Reno. At a City Hall rally, over 100 attendees demanded city council action, with residents voicing worries about water and electricity diversion, surveillance, and worsening climate change. “Our community standing up and fighting back is tremendous,” Pitts said.