Do you see your use of ChatGPT increase to complete menial tasks you could otherwise do with some extra time and thought? If so, you are subsidizing the building of new Data Centers.
The future isn’t only code — it’s infrastructure. And it’s coming to a township near you.
Data centers (DCs) are vast warehouses of computer servers and other IT equipment that power cloud computing, artificial intelligence and other tech applications.
Do DCs require electricity?
Yes — a lot of electricity to power and keep equipment cool. Typically, a DC uses 150-300 watts of electricity.
Paying More for Less
Electric Bills Rising in All Regions
All over the world, DCs are being constructed to fuel demand for a growing AI chatbot bubble. See map.
And they are driving a 50% surge in energy demand, raising utility bills, while worsening water and emissions risks.
Although electric costs are regional, DC costs explode when big tech builds faster than one can think.
And those costs will be picked up by YOU, the thinker.
Over the last year, electric prices rose 4.5 %, double the rate of inflation. “Electric prices for Pacific, Middle Atlantic and New England regions — areas where consumers already pay much more per kilowatt-hour for electricity — could increase more than the national average, according to the Energy Information Administration (EIA).” (26%)
On average, household electrical costs are estimated to rise 13%.
Wyoming’s new Al DC will use more electricity than the entire state’s homes combined. This new facility will support the next generation of Al training — but there’s a catch: It starts at 1.8 gigawatts, with plans to scale to 10 gigawatts. That’s more than the total residential energy use in Wyoming. Why this matters:
• Massive Al = massive power needs
•The U.S. power grid is under pressure
• Energy innovation now drives tech growth
Electric is not the only cost of Al.
Externalities
It’s not just about servers and data, it’s about people. Real families and real homes.
Innovation is preached while draining the life out of small towns.
From Dairy lands to Motherboards, DCs are set to lower property values, while increasing water pollution, land destruction, siphoning water from farms, and replacing more jobs with more robots.
These are called “externalities” because they are not directly considered part of the transaction.
Oh, and DCs sign nondisclosure agreements with local governments on water use.
Build-Out Across the USA
A massive $8 billion Data Center covering 2.5 million square feet was recently approved in Port Washington, Wisconsin by the common council despite many of its citizens speaking against it. A $4 billion data center campus is being built in Mount Pleasant, Wisconsin. Currently, there are 21 DCs in the Milwaukee area.
Similar to the spread of Genetically Modified Organisms (GMOs), DCs are emerging in every state, unstoppable.
Townships need to stop handing out tax abatements and make corporations pay for their water usage. After all, is there a need to incentivize corporations to build in high demand areas when robots will be replacing human jobs?
For corporations to pay their way, human beings must involve themselves.
While subsidizing the wealthiest corporations, you are being told that it’s your civic duty to comply. For the good of all? Heard those words before?
The comparison is simple: do you value AI over using your own capacity to think?
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