173 million Americans live within 20 km of a data centre, number set to rise to 196 million

The pace at which data centres are being built in the United States has risen sharply. As the use of AI and digital technology grows, tech companies are putting up new centres on a large scale. The need has arisen from the expansion of the internet, cloud computing and AI systems. But the effects of this digital revolution are now showing directly in the lives of ordinary people. The bigger the development, the bigger its impact on nature and people, and this is now being felt.

The figures make the picture clear. About 173 million people in the US currently live within 20 km of a data centre. Once the projects now under construction are completed and some of the proposed centres begin operating, this number is estimated to reach 196 million. That means a large part of the US population will live close to this digital infrastructure.

AI is a major driver of the rise in demand. ChatGPT, cloud computing, online streaming and other AI services require enormous computing capacity. Companies such as Google, Microsoft, Amazon and Meta are therefore investing heavily in data centres. More than 3,000 data centres are currently operating in the US, while more than 1,500 new centres are at various stages of development.

The expansion has raised serious questions for local residents. The centres need a great deal of electricity and water to keep their servers cool. Concern is also being voiced about the noise of generators, the heat they give off, the use of land and the effect on nature. In many parts of the US, new data centre projects are now facing strong opposition from local residents.

The US and China are moving ahead rapidly in the race for the AI and digital economy. Even so, the question is being raised whether local residents will have to pay the price of this progress. In the years ahead, balancing the building of data centres with people's quality of life could be a major challenge for the US.

For now, there is not very much opposition to this in the US. However, US data centres are also looking to take up space in other countries. How far this development goes will therefore need to be watched.