Data Centers Impact on Energy Demand
WHEREAS, Google, Microsoft, Meta and others are building data centers across the country that require a lot of electricity and water resources, and renewable energy sources often require additional permitting; and
WHEREAS, According to the University of Oxford as of the end of 2020, 597 hyperscale data centers were in operation (39% in the US, 10% in China, 6% Japan), up by almost 50% since 2015. Amazon, Google and Microsoft account for more than half of these and a further 219 are in various stages of planning; and
WHEREAS, The increase in demand for artificial intelligence impacts electricity rates and energy reliability; and
WHEREAS, Utilizing artificial intelligence systems with increased demand and few safeguards will exacerbate the climate crisis; and
WHEREAS, The construction of large data centers often creates additional greenhouse gas emissions and air quality issues; and
WHEREAS, The construction of these data centers is often in low-income and frontline communities without the promise of additional jobs past the construction of these centers; and
WHEREAS, The use of energy to generate a single, generative query from artificial intelligence can consume four to five times as much energy as a typical search engine request; and
WHEREAS, Opposition globally, as well as in the United States, regarding large data farms is starting to grow even as new projects are being approved and is impacting certain tech company transparency regarding water usage; and
WHEREAS, According to TechTarget Energy production is highly reliant on water, which is why the spotlight is on data centers and their environmental impact. Data centers directly and indirectly consume vast amounts of electricity, heat and water in a variety of ways; and
WHEREAS, Places like Indiana, Texas, Virginia, Louisiana, Mississippi, and many other states with industrial buildouts suffer from the increase in fossil-fuel generation to sustain the rampant demand of data centers that increase energy burdens on communities; and
WHEREAS, Communities that have traditionally suffered from increased pollution, like Boxtown in South Memphis, Tennessee, have repeatedly received an "F" for ozone pollution, yet xAI placed 35 unpermitted gas turbines in this area and the local agencies, such as their health department and public utilities commission have failed to hold xAI fully accountable for this danger to the community's health and welfare, and this overall failure to the community has forced the NAACP to file a notice of intent to sue xAI for harms xAI has caused to the community; and
WHEREAS, Emerging technology can be a key component of helping to advance environmental and climate justice needs, but algorithmic impact assessments, mirrored after environmental impact assessments to share any environmental threats that a data center poses to communities, is an important transparency need; and
WHEREAS, The Environmental Law and Policy Center and others have highlighted that data centers are capable of developing operations more sustainably and in locations that are not already sacrifice zones; and
WHEREAS, The green economy must consider built environment as well as the digital industrial sector.
THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, that the NAACP advocates and demands community benefits agreements that require benefits such as water scarcity and electricity high burdens community benefits plan and jobs, contracts and clean energy development agreements that will benefit Black people and their communities.
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that the NAACP advocates for additional quantitative and qualitative analysis regarding guidelines to ensure community-based leadership for monitoring toxic air pollution, water contamination and usage, and energy demands.
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that the NAACP urges Congress to pass legislation to demand transparency and standardized methodology regarding data and usage of water, energy, and emissions linked to data centers as well as a reduction of these resources and better regulate the increased demand of fossil fuels for data centers.
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that state and local governments create additional benchmarks for data centers for meaningful disclosure and accountability regarding environmental threats such as algorithmic impact assessments.
BE IT FINALLY RESOLVED, the NAACP advocates with our partner organizations for more intersectional conversations and community-led training and policy decisions regarding digital industrial usage of water, energy, and greenhouse gas emissions.