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Data Centers

We are currently at a rush to approve and build them through a chaotic, poorly planned process - But what are they?

Dave Arndt – Co-Chair

Maryland Legislative Coalition - Climate Justice Wing

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What do data centers do?

  • Data storage: This is not just your cat pictures, this is almost everything created. All your record, like healthcare, car maintenance, tax, etc. Big data - genetic sequencing, weather, CERN�
  • Data processing: Running applications and computations on stored data. Universities, institutions. Google maps, finding the cheapest flights, Geographic Information System (GIS) inquiries, search.

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  • Data distribution: Providing access to data through networks, enabling users to retrieve and update information. Video Streaming. Ordering food online, tracking packages.

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  • Business application support: Powering critical business applications like email, CRM, ERP, and more.
  • High availability: Maintaining continuous access to data through redundancy and disaster recovery measures.

AI is dramatically affecting the top two uses

Capabilities are vastly increased, however size and consumption are dramatically increased.

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Who are the players?

  • Top AI driven - Amazon Web Services (AWS), Microsoft Azure, Google Cloud, Meta (Facebook), Oracle, IBM, Apple, xAI, OpenAI, SAP
  • Top overall - Equinix, Digital Realty, Cyxtera, CyrusOne, CoreSite, Lumen, Iron Mountain, Flexential, Verizon, VMware
  • Top storage - Dropbox, Box, NetApp, Wasabi Technologies, Seagate Technology, OpenDrive
  • Venture Capital companies are buying in - Blackstone, KKR
  • Top construction companies - Aecom, DPR Construction, Mace, Turner Construction Company, Jacobs Solutions

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  • MD has 27 small commercial data centers.These usually tucked in an office park
  • There are other private and institutional data centers - think government agencies, universities, software providers

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What do they look like?

Standard size for new sites are now 100MW same electricity usage as ~80,000 households

This is a 3MW data center ~1,600 households

  • There are at least 11 new ones proposed with at least 3 of the Hyper size.
  • Hyper centers are 1-3GW ~ 815,000- 2,450,00 households equivalents, plus 1000’s of diesel generators ~10,000 gal of diesel storage

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What does a hyper-data center compare to?

Based on 2022 MD production/usage

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How do they get built?

  • Data center approvals, tracking and management are at the local level. Local governments don’t have the tools or staff to evaluate data center proposals, especially at hyper-scale sites where there may be multiple permits by multiple operators. As a result, there is no cumulative effects planning, monitoring or management.
  • Maryland Department of Environment approves diesel generators and construction permits - streams, fuel tanks,etc.
  • Public Service Commission approves most substations
  • Dept. of Commerce approves Data Center Maryland Sales and Use Tax Exemption

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The Environmental

Impacts of Data Centers

Kyle Hart – Mid-Atlantic Program Manager

National Parks Conservation Association

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Who is NPCA?

  • Founded in 1919
  • Protect and enhance America’s national parks - 429 NPS units
    • The voice for national parks
  • Nationwide nonprofit - Alaska to Florida
  • Park funding, new parks, protecting parks from threats, and more
  • Learn more - npca.org

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Quick Virginia Overview:

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Virginia = Data Center Capital of the World

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Planned VA build out

  • 70%+ of internet traffic runs through Northern Virginia
  • 57 million sqft built and under construction
  • 180 million sqft approved or in the pipeline
    • Very few projects are currently being denied
  • Possible energy need → more than 50 gigawatts
    • 20 offshore wind farms / 500,000 acres in solar (plus redundancy = 1M+ acres)

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Environmental Impact of Data Centers:

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Land Use Impacts

  • Thousands of acres of land needed - 237 million square feet proposed or built in Virginia
    • Nearly 1,000 Wal-Mart Supercenters
  • Growth currently centered around green space and increasing rural areas

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Land Use Impacts of Energy Needs

  • Power Hungry = Land Hungry
  • Data centers want to be net 0
  • Every data center that wants to run on solar will need ≈ 600 acres

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Spotsylvania, VA solar farm - 6,350 acres, 617MW

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Average data center campus power needs

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Quantum Loophole is a 1GW project - 10,000+ acres of solar 617 MW | 6,350 acres

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Water Quality and Quantity

  • Quality
    • Construction runoff
      • Quantum Loophole violations
    • Site operation runoff
      • Road salts and other pollutants
  • Quantity
    • VA - 1.85 billion gallons of water in 2023 alone (just what was disclosed)
    • No regional planning
    • No required disclosure

9/5/23- The Thornton River running through Sperryville; Luke Christopher, Rappahannock News

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Getting Power to Data Centers

  • MARL line from WVA to Loudon originates from coal country
    • Coal powering data centers
  • Broader Mid-Atlantic NIETC projects spans 4 states
    • $5.2 billion in infrastructure upgrades to support data center growth in NoVA
  • Maryland Piedmont Reliability Project (MPRP)

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Air Quality and Climate Change

  • Diesel generators - often 100+ at one site
    • 4,000+ in Loudoun county alone
  • Energy needs = more fossil fuels
    • Nationwide delay of coal retirements
    • New planned natural gas facilities
  • What about nuclear?
    • Zero-carbon shell game

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The Impacts of Data Centers

Paige Wesselink, Digital Communications Lead

Sierra Club Virginia Chapter

photos by Hugh Kelly, PEC

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Impacts at Glance

Data Centers are massive electricity draining, data storage facilities that will result in:​

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  • Massive degradation of land + water​
  • More Expensive MONTHLY electric Bills
    • PJM bills will rise bc of VA’s

Data center energy demand ​

  • Energy Crisis​
  • Increased Air Toxins ​
  • More Climate Pollution​

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Impacts of Data Centers | The Sierra Club Virginia Chapter

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Important To Note

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  • The proposed AI Data Centers are more harmful than the DCs of yesterday
    • The energy required to power AI data centers are 3 to 10 times the amount of old data centers�
  • No Substantive policy has been passed in VA by our local, state, or federal leaders. There are no safeguards in place for people or our environment

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Impacts of Data Centers | The Sierra Club Virginia Chapter

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  • Chesterfield Gas plant
  • Keep coal plants operating (VA, MD and WV)
  • Energy infrastructure build out
  • Diesel generators emit massive amounts

of pollution

    • PM 2.5
    • Arsenic
    • Benzene
  • Diesel pollution linked to higher rates of breast

cancer and lung cancer

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The Price of Energy & Pollution

Impacts of Data Centers | The Sierra Club Virginia Chapter

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Costs To People

We pay them many different ways

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    • For their services
      1. Amazon prime
    • Our electric bills
      • New fossil fuel energy infrastructure
      • WE PAY FOR 100%
    • State tax benefits
      • Georgia legislature tried to suspended the state’s data center tax subsidies for two years due to grid capacity concerns. Governor vetoed bill.

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Impacts of Data Centers | The Sierra Club Virginia Chapter

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The Data Centers Burden is an issue of Fairness and Justice just as much as it is about climate

  • Virginia’s families shouldn’t be forced to foot the bill for the world’s internet access
    • 29% of Va families had to choose between paying for basic goods electricity bill in 2023
  • Dominion’s new polluting plants will be sited in EJ communities
    • Chesterfield Peaker Plant (Nat Gas Pollution)�.
  • Small Modular Reactors (SMRs) are an unproven technology. If they don’t work, we still might have to pay for them …
  • Transparency is lacking - data centers shouldn’t be allowed to have private energy contracts with Dominion

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Impacts of Data Centers | The Sierra Club Virginia Chapter

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Missing Context from Industry Claims

  • They CAN afford to get off diesel generators
    • Data centers in America are estimated to generate more than $100 billion worth of revenue�
  • Data centers are the exclusive reason for polluters to build new fossil fuel plants
  • Industry leaders claim they are climate conscious, but they have not used their influence to oppose Dominion’s pollution plants plan�
  • Clean energy projects in other states don’t eliminate pollution in our communities�
  • Data centers don’t pay their fair share of electric prices because they enjoy discounted rates & billions of tax benefits and subsidies

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Impacts of Data Centers | The Sierra Club Virginia Chapter

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What Can We Do?

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  • Local wins
    • Pittsylvania Balico, Henrico
  • VA making diesel generator information public
  • Google requesting meetings with local environmental groups
  • Data Center Coalition going on the defense - sending out aggressive pro data center messaging
  • Fairfax passed data center best practices

Local action!

Because of you, we have progress.