Massive data centers required for artificial intelligence operations are facing protests across Europe. Operators assert that these facilities enhance digital sovereignty and energy independence. While many individuals prefer to utilize the services provided by data centers, they often oppose having them located nearby. As discussions continue about the potential risks associated with artificial intelligence, local debates are intensifying regarding the placement of data centers necessary for AI training and operation.
In Europe, numerous governments and companies have opted to store data within the continent rather than in the United States, which currently leads in computing capabilities. However, increasing digital sovereignty in Europe is expected to result in higher resource consumption.
The German Ministry for Economic Affairs reports that for every kilowatt-hour of electricity consumed, an average of 0.4 to 4.4 liters (0.8 to 9.3 pints) of water is utilized for cooling data centers, with the water either evaporating or returned to tanks in a warmed state.
Following a record-breaking hot summer, water usage restrictions were implemented in various regions for residents, agriculture, and even nuclear power plants. With predictions of increasingly warmer summers, concerns about future water consumption by data centers are growing. Additionally, there are apprehensions regarding the high electricity usage of these centers. Fingrid, Finland's national grid operator, has projected a nearly 40% increase in electricity consumption if all signed connection agreements are fully realized.
In response to these concerns, the European Commission has introduced a new initiative aimed at enhancing transparency regarding the energy and water consumption of data centers. Facilities with a capacity exceeding 500 kW will receive an efficiency grade that factors in their contributions to the grid, including waste heat reuse. "Tripling our data center capacity cannot mean tripling the pressure on our grids, our water, and our energy bills," stated Teresa Ribera, Executive Vice-President of the European Commission for a Clean, Just and Competitive Transition.
Europe's most significant data centers have primarily been established in major cities such as Frankfurt, London, Amsterdam, Paris, and Dublin (FLAP-D), due to their high connectivity, proximity to users and businesses, and established ecosystems with specialized engineers and secure supply chains. However, a report from investment group CBRE indicates that this trend is shifting as these markets encounter power and grid infrastructure limitations. New data centers are being constructed in cities such as Groningen in the Netherlands, Barcelona in Spain, and Brussels in Belgium, as well as in more rural areas.
As this transition occurs, protests are increasing both online and offline. Recently, hundreds protested in front of Google's offices in Linz, Austria, against plans to build a data center in the nearby town of Kronstorf. In Ireland, author Sally Rooney successfully campaigned to revoke planning permission for a proposed data center in Killala, citing potential breaches of national climate policy.
In central France, several elected officials in Etrechet resigned in protest of Google's plans for a large data center, which would require between 880 megawatts and 1.1 gigawatts of electricity—equivalent to the output of a nuclear power plant. Etrechet's mayor, Florence Laurent, expressed her resignation was due to a "sense of powerlessness, since the village has no decision-making power" regarding the project.
Some data center operators contend that facilities can be designed to conserve energy. A data center under construction in Marseille is expected to utilize a cooling system that requires 30% less power and consumes no water. Other centers, particularly in Scandinavia, are using waste heat from servers to supply district heating networks.
A survey conducted by German energy company E.ON this spring found that nearly three-quarters of respondents would be more inclined to accept data centers near residential areas if they contributed waste heat to the heating network.
Data center operators also argue that these facilities can benefit the public by connecting batteries that provide backup power to local grids, ensuring uninterrupted service during outages or peak demand periods. Proponents of expanding data centers in Europe assert that these facilities not only bolster the continent's digital sovereignty but also enhance energy independence.
Monir Ghaedi contributed to this article, which was translated from German.