NEPA Doesn't Need More Data Centers

by Brian Dugas

Once again Northeast Pennsylvania is being targeted by corporations looking to take advantage of its rich natural resources and easy access to enormous markets.

It began with the Anthracite Coal Mines which fueled the industrial revolution, but left a legacy of environmental destruction and societal upheaval that still remains to this day.

Next it was the fossil fuel industry drilling and building pipelines to transport the fracked gas found in the Marcellus Shale field.

Now we have a new industry coming our way that takes advantage of many of the same natural resources, and is able to capitalize on the same infrastructure built for fracking.

Data Centers - I think that most of us are taking advantage of the new AI resources available through Google and other apps. Corporations are working hard to incorporate AI into their businesses as well, replacing the inefficient humans that need things like breaks, medical benefits and vacations. In fact there is significant risk being posed by the unregulated growth of AI, but that is a topic for another day. I put a short Ted Talk on the UUCWV FaceBook page for those of you who are interested in learning more. Please sign up for the Facebook account if you haven’t done that yet. Communication may become a valuable asset in the near future.

Back to data centers - these facilities are needed to house and operate the massive computers required to run the computations required for AI operations. They have enormous energy, water, and land requirements, and there are 6 of them planned for NEPA in the near future.

When I’m talking massive I’m talking a scale unimagined in the past. There is already one of the largest data centers in PA operating at the Berwick Nuclear Power plant, using 25% of the energy that the plant produces. The enormous increase in energy production along with the amount of water that is needed to cool these massive computers is hard to imagine. 5 Million gallons of CLEAN water a day for each facility.

NEPA is famous for its natural resources which will serve this industry well. Water from the Susquehanna and the Delaware Rivers, the close proximity to the Marcellus Shale field, and the pipelines needed to transport the gas needed to produce the energy are already in place. Additionally, there are plenty of wooded areas available to clear in order to build their new facilities. Places that already have data centers report an increase in noise, light, and air pollution, along with an increase in the cost of energy for the other consumers using power.

And this is already in motion in NEPA and across PA, there are numerous videos of contentious community meetings where residents want to learn more, and are actually resisting the construction of these data centers in their communities. It is very important for communities to get ahead of the problem by learning more about what they are doing, and passing ordinances and regulations that restrict and regulate the companies.

And guess who's coming to town? Blackstone - Blackstone plans to invest $25 billion in data centers and energy generation in northeast Pennsylvania. It also plans to partner with Allentown-based PPL Corp. to build natural gas generation plants. PPL Corp. is investing $6.8 billion through 2028 to expand grid capacity in order to support increased power demand from data centers.

If you had an issue with all the pipelines built for Marcellous Shale, they have more in mind. TC Energy announced plans to invest $400 million to modernize its gas pipeline network in Pennsylvania.

The bottom line is that we can allow the industries that have abused NEPA throughout history to do what they want, whenever they want, or we can stand up, organize, and let our voices be heard before it’s too late.

The NEPA Climate Reality group has taken this issue on as one of its primary missions, and there is a growing coalition of environmental organizations across the state getting engaged. Anyone interested in getting involved can speak to me, or contact any of these organizations.

Join us at the next Social Action Committee meeting this Tuesday, at 8:00PM. The Zoom Link is in the announcements.