Environmental activists argue that large data centers consume too much electricity and contribute to pollution, so we need to make a choice: either focus on truly reducing emissions or spend more time on Netflix.
The group „Clouds Were Under Our Feet” opposes the construction of data centers, which they hold responsible for increasing pollution. According to the organization, the electrical energy used by the five data centers in Marseille could be used to electrify the local bus network.
"We need to set our priorities: green energy projects to reduce our emissions or more Netflix?" said a member of the group to Euronews.
Data centers house computer networks that store, process, and distribute large amounts of data. They also play a crucial role in the rapid development of generative artificial intelligence (AI) as companies need these computers to train their new models.
According to an estimate by the International Energy Agency (IEA), the electricity consumption of data centers worldwide could double by 2026, from 460 terawatt-hours (TWh) in 2022 to over 1,000 TWh. This is more than all of Japan's energy consumption combined.
What do activists have against data centers
"Data center activism" is a movement that is gaining momentum as communities realize the impact these centers will have on the environment, explained Sebastián Lehuedé, a researcher and lecturer at King's College in London.
This ecological movement is largely led by activists who have fought for other rights or have connections with other groups, whether it be climate justice or digital rights, he continued.
Most groups operate in Europe or Latin America, but their actions are quite different. In Latin American centers such as Chile and Uruguay, the issue against data centers always targets water consumption. Both countries face long-lasting drought episodes that dry up water reserves and cause shortages in the capitals of Montevideo and Santiago, Lehuedé said.
On the other hand, in Europe, the issue is how much network energy reaches the data centers. The EU estimates that just under 3% of the continent's total energy production is allocated to data centers, according to a sustainability announcement from March.
Data centers consume significantly more energy in Ireland and the Netherlands, with 21% and 5.4% of the national grids, respectively, according to a 2024 EU report on energy consumption for data centers.
Activist groups collaborate in Latin America through information exchange, but as far as Lehuedé knows, they do not form a cross-border movement.
When did the revolt against data centers begin
Patrick Brodie, a lecturer at University College Dublin studying the environmental policies of digital infrastructures, says it all started in 2015 when Apple announced an €850 million plan to build a data center in County Galway in western Ireland. The center was supposed to be powered by renewable energy.
The project was initially good news for Ireland, but environmental engineer Allan Daly filed a Supreme Court challenge against Apple, arguing that it was unclear how renewable sources would be used to sustain the plan. Apple's Galway plan was ultimately abandoned in 2018.
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- The European Commission wants to install huge data centers in space, powered by solar plants
The next wave of activism against data centers emerged around 2021, Lehuedé said, coinciding with the AI boom when a case in Zeewolde, Netherlands, caught the media's attention.
After local authorities approved the creation of a new Meta data center, the Dutch Senate quickly blocked the project "until a new government vision for spatial planning and data centers is ready," local media reported. Meta abandoned the project in 2022.
Lately, activists have won a few battles. In August, the South Dublin County Council rejected Google's plans for a new facility on the outskirts of the capital because the city lacks sufficient energy to support it. And in September, Google announced that it would rethink its plans in Chile due to water-related issues.
However, Lehuedé is not convinced that such successes can set a strong trend. "In fact, it's quite the opposite. There are more and more projects under construction and more governments rushing to welcome them."
What's happening in France and what activists propose
In Marseille, companies operating data centers must prepare environmental assessment reports and consult the public on their proposals, which Digital Realty is currently doing for the MRS5 project.
However, a new law could change this procedure, activists claim. Before the anticipated summer elections, the French government was working on a law for "simplifying business environment" that designates data centers as projects of "major national interest," similar to bridges or train stations, according to Le Monde.
According to activists, if data centers become objectives of national interest, they could bypass all current filters.
Other activists, like Jerry Mac Evilly from the Irish NGO Friends of the Earth and Gómez Delgado from Spain, are calling for a moratorium on all data centers in their countries until a solid environmental plan is presented.
Mac Evilly believes that this would limit the energy consumption of data centers and compel them to invest significantly in on-site renewable energy to reduce their dependence on the national grid.
However, Lehuedé does not believe in moratoriums. He wants to see major tech companies incorporate local perspectives from the outset in their projects. "These projects are being rushed right now because essentially, governments are desperate to capitalize on the AI boom," the expert explained.
T.D.