More than 230 environmental groups are demanding a national moratorium on new data centers in the United States.
The coalition, which includes Greenpeace USA, Friends of the Earth U.S. and dozens of other national, regional and state organizations, sent a letter to Congress this week urging lawmakers to halt approvals and construction of new data centers amid what they describe as a growing environmental and economic crisis.
"This expansion is rapidly increasing demand for energy, driving more fossil fuel pollution, straining water resources and raising electricity prices across the country," the letter states.
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There is no federal registration requirement for AI data centers, making the total number difficult to estimate. But online database Data Center Map estimates there are more than 4,000 currently across the country.
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The groups argue that the rapid expansion of data centers are driven by artificial intelligence and cryptocurrency, and has become one of the "biggest environmental and social threats of our generation.”
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A tripling of data centers in the next five years would consume as much electricity as 30 million households and require water equivalent to more than 18 million households, the letter claims.
The groups also warn of potential job losses tied to AI and say data center growth is “largely unregulated.”
The organizations are calling for a moratorium until federal regulations are in place to protect “our communities, our families, our environment and our health.”
