HomeMy WebLinkAboutREGARDING THE DATA CENTERCAUTION: This email originated from outside your organization. Exercise caution when opening attachments or clicking links, especially from unknown senders.
Dear City Council Members,
I am writing to support my family, who resides in Rowland Heights, with “NO DATA CENTER around that area. We realize that there are some Business & Technical Benefits, but a lot more
disadvantages and damage to the communities. The Data Center can have negative impacts on public health, primarily through air pollution, noise and high resource consumption.
Diesel backup generators emit toxic nitrogen oxides and particulate matter, increasing respiratory and cardiovascular risks for nearby communities. This facility can also cause sleep
disruptions due to noise and light pollution.
Other key findings such as:
Increased Utility Rates: Data centers increase local electric utility rates by driving up overall energy demand, which strains grid capacity and forces utilities to invest in costly
infrastructure upgrades. These costs are passed on to residents through higher rates. Data centers have also secured long-term power agreements, which reduce the available supply and
push prices up for other consumers.
High Resource Consumption: A single data center can consume up to 2 megawatt-hours of power, equivalent to the power used by 2,000 homes, and millions of gallons of water annually for
cooling, straining local resources and infrastructure.
Ineffective Tax Incentives: Tax breaks for data centers do not deliver the promised economic benefits, such as high-paying jobs, and they reduce local tax revenues, while shifting financial
burdens onto communities and schools.
Climate and Energy Challenges: Data centers’ massive energy demands are prolonging the operation of fossil fuel plants and undermining state renewable energy goals, as seen in states
like Michigan, Virginia, and Nebraska.
Resource Efficiency Trade-Off: While advanced cooling methods like liquid immersion and direct-to-chip cooling offer energy efficiency improvements, current technologies force a tradeoff
between energy and water efficiency, limiting sustainable solutions.
Policy Solutions: To mitigate data centers’ environmental impacts and align their growth with sustainability goals, policymakers should adopt model laws like the German Energy Efficiency
Act, add requirements for new renewable energy, and enforce transparency through mandatory reporting.
Please reconsider bringing the Data Center to the communities with the above facts that will harm the residents.
Thank you.
Sincerely,
Debby Winnie,
Resident of Rowland Heights.