![\"\"](\"https:\/\/blog.dansgeekstop.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/What-Everyone-Is-Missing-in-the-Data-Center-Debate-1024x683.png\")
<\/figure>So let\u2019s cut to the chase.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Let\u2019s get real here, people.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Almost every article you see anymore about data centers is focused on AI driving the need for more of them. And yes, AI is requiring more data centers. That part is true.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
But everyone complaining about it is missing some very important facts. As far as I am concerned, that is because too many people are not taking the time to do the research.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n
And when I say people are not doing the proper research, I am looking directly at government officials: local, state, and national.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
This is not about one political party. It does not matter which side of the aisle they sit on. Too many of them are looking at one small piece of the puzzle. They are chasing the hot topic.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
AI needs more data centers. Data centers use power. Data centers use water. Utility bills may go up.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Fine. Those are valid concerns.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
But that is not the whole discussion. Not even close.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
There is a hell of a lot more to this issue than simply yelling about AI, data centers, costs, water usage, and electric bills. If government officials are going to make decisions about data centers, then they need to understand the bigger picture before they start banning things, blocking projects, or pretending outrage is a policy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
So I am going to try one last time to lay out the whole picture.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
After that, I am done.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
What finally pushed me over the line was a conversation I had with a buddy last night over a beer.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
He went off on me about AI because he knows I am a very heavy user of it. And yes, we are still best friends.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
He does not like AI, and to be fair, some of his concerns are valid. I am not saying people should not question AI. I question it myself. I use it heavily, but I do not worship at the altar of the algorithm.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
But after I went off right back, he finally understood that there is more to this discussion than just AI and data centers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
I\u2019m looking at you, John.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
So if I can get this stubborn Irishman to at least see that there is more to this issue, then maybe I can get a few more people to see it too.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
First, let\u2019s talk about data centers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
People seem to think data centers are a recent thing. When I say recent, I mean they think data centers only became an issue once AI came onto the playground.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Sorry, but that is not even remotely true.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Originally, many data centers were located inside companies, universities, banks, and government facilities. These were the rooms or buildings that housed the big systems: mainframes, servers, storage, and networking equipment. In some cases, those big old mainframes took up entire rooms or large sections of a building.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
And yes, they were called data centers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Then Google brought us Google Search. I will use Google as the start of the modern data center boom, even though they may not have been the very first.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
This happened in the late 1990s, not the early 1990s.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
What Google did right, and what not enough people followed them on, was building systems designed for efficiency and specific purposes. They did not just throw normal computers into a room and hope for the best. They built servers and infrastructure around the work they needed those systems to do.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Then more and more data centers came about because businesses did not want to house or maintain their own.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
This was especially true for a lot of small to medium-sized businesses. Many of them went this route because they simply could not afford to maintain all the computer systems they needed on their own.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
So now you start getting into websites, medical companies, insurance companies, manufacturing companies, service companies, social media companies, streaming services, bloggers like me, internet radio, and many others.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Like watching your movies online?<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Well, say thank you to a data center, because that would not be happening without data centers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
At the same time, companies like Google, Facebook, Twitter, and other large international technology companies kept growing. As they grew, they needed more data centers so they could balance traffic, give people faster response times, and provide fallback if something went wrong.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
That is why these companies started building data centers in different parts of the country and around the world. It was not just about adding more computers. It was about keeping services fast, reliable, and available.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Are you getting the picture here?<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Data centers are here to stay.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
More data centers would have had to be built even if AI had never entered the picture.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Are we clear on this?<\/p>\n\n\n\n
John.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Now let\u2019s get into the concerns that many people have.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
And they are absolutely valid. I do not argue that.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
They concern me too. I have to pay bills like everyone else.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Electrical usage. Water usage. Higher utility costs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Those are real concerns, and they should not be brushed aside.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Data centers are basically big ass buildings with boatloads of electronics in them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
That many electrical devices in one building, for whatever purpose, are going to require huge amounts of energy. They are also going to generate a lot of heat.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
That is what electrical devices do. They generate heat when they operate.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
And if an electrical device gets too hot, trust me, it does not work. It either slows down, fails, or just shuts down.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
So now that brings in another issue: cooling.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Cooling those electronics usually means more power consumption, water usage, or both.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
And before anyone asks, yes, there are better ways to both power and cool these systems. Too many data centers being built are not using the best methods available.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
One option is to recirculate water instead of constantly using new water resources. And even when more water is needed, it may not be anywhere near as much as some news stories make it sound, depending on the cooling system being used.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
For example, John pointed out to me that some old stereos used to be water cooled. I never knew that.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
And if you know any serious gamer, they may have a high-end computer that is water cooled too.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
So right there, something like recirculated water could help in two ways. It could cut back on electrical consumption because water is helping cool the equipment. It could also cut back on water consumption because the same water is being reused instead of constantly pulling in more.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
I also know for a fact that companies like NVIDIA and other electronics manufacturers have already been working on lowering the electricity needs of high-end data centers. They are also developing newer methods to address this issue.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Again, the goal is the same: dropping the amount of resources required to run these systems.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Now let\u2019s cut to the chase and slap some of these idiot politicians alongside the head.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
They should be developing regulations that require any new data centers to use the latest reasonable methods for lowering electrical demand and improving cooling.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
At the very least, that should be part of the approval process.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
If a company wants to build a new data center, then local and state officials should be asking real questions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
How much power will it use?<\/p>\n\n\n\n
How much water will it use?<\/p>\n\n\n\n
What cooling method will it use?<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Will water be recirculated?<\/p>\n\n\n\n
What impact will it have on local utilities?<\/p>\n\n\n\n
What safeguards are being required before approval?<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Have they even thought about requiring local renewable energy at the data center itself to help lower the demand being placed on the general power grid?<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Have you ever been in a city that has landfills?<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Guess what landfills release?<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Methane gas.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
I have seen companies capture that methane and sell it for use in business parks, where it was used for on-site electrical generation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Again, hey government officials, have you ever thought about that?<\/p>\n\n\n\n
If a locality already has landfill methane available, why is that not part of the discussion when planning power options for a data center?<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Instead of always looking for new land, maybe government officials should be asking whether old commercial and industrial sites can be cleaned up, rebuilt, and reused.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Why aren\u2019t these officials pushing back and asking why existing buildings or existing industrial land cannot be used first?<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Come on, that steel mill probably already has some of the infrastructure needed for power and water. Even if it has to be upgraded, at least some of the groundwork may already be there.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
So why is this not part of the discussion?<\/p>\n\n\n\n
That is what government officials should be focused on.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
And while we are at it, we might as well slap the news media alongside the head too.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
They keep feeding people scare stories because they know fear sells. They know data centers, AI, water usage, and higher electric bills will get clicks.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Well, guess what, news media?<\/p>\n\n\n\n
You use the same damn data centers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Your websites, your videos, your live updates, your newsletters, your apps, your online subscriptions, and your endless breaking-news alerts are all running through the same kind of infrastructure you are yelling about.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Let me go back to something I just mentioned: land usage.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Too many data centers are trying to grab huge chunks of farmland. Not enough effort is being made to find other locations.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
We cannot keep giving up the land that feeds us unless it is absolutely necessary.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
I know China has been testing underwater data centers, where the surrounding water helps cool the equipment. That addresses at least part of the cooling issue.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Now, I am not saying every locality can drop a data center underwater. Obviously, that is not realistic everywhere.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
But the point is this: are officials even looking at alternative locations and alternative designs?<\/p>\n\n\n\n
If there are large caves nearby, could a data center be built there?<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Could old industrial land be reused?<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Could abandoned malls, factories, or business parks be converted or rebuilt?<\/p>\n\n\n\n
These are the kinds of questions government officials should be asking before they hand over farmland.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Smarter siting could help address land usage, electrical usage, and cooling all at the same time.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In conclusion, look, I am not pissed off because people have concerns.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Those concerns are valid.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
What I am pissed off about is that nobody seems to be taking the time to research the whole picture.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
People are looking at one or two trees, while there is a whole damn forest sitting right in front of them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
I am not mad that people are concerned about data centers, AI, power usage, water usage, utility bills, or land usage. Those are real issues.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
I am mad that government officials and the media are not doing their damn jobs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Everything I talked about here probably only took me a couple of days, off and on, to learn. Now, I happen to like discussions like this. I like learning about how things work.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
But both the media and the government have a hell of a lot more resources than little old me. They could learn a hell of a lot more if they actually bothered to look past the easy headline or the easy political talking point.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Of course, knowing how government works, it would probably take them two years to figure out what I just described.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
And again, this is not about one political party.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
It does not matter which party is in government. If you are making decisions about data centers, then do the research. Look at the whole picture. Ask better questions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Because yelling about AI needing more data centers is not a plan.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Demanding smarter data centers, smarter locations, smarter cooling, smarter power use, and smarter regulations?<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Now that is a discussion worth having.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Lol, I am probably going to get ripped a new one over this article. I just don’t care. We are getting sold down the river by the people that should be doing this type of research.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
So let\u2019s cut to the chase. Let\u2019s get real here, people. Almost every article you see anymore about data centers is focused on AI driving the need for more of them. And yes, AI is requiring more data centers. That part is true. But everyone complaining about it is missing some very important facts. As […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":1072,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"site-sidebar-layout":"default","site-content-layout":"","ast-site-content-layout":"full-width-container","site-content-style":"default","site-sidebar-style":"default","ast-global-header-display":"","ast-banner-title-visibility":"","ast-main-header-display":"","ast-hfb-above-header-display":"","ast-hfb-below-header-display":"","ast-hfb-mobile-header-display":"","site-post-title":"","ast-breadcrumbs-content":"","ast-featured-img":"","footer-sml-layout":"","ast-disable-related-posts":"","theme-transparent-header-meta":"","adv-header-id-meta":"","stick-header-meta":"","header-above-stick-meta":"","header-main-stick-meta":"","header-below-stick-meta":"","astra-migrate-meta-layouts":"default","ast-page-background-enabled":"default","ast-page-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"ast-content-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"footnotes":""},"categories":[98,421,447,6,460,230],"tags":[34,491,314,409,493,492,494,489,37,496,495,490],"class_list":["post-1070","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-ai","category-environment","category-in-the-news","category-modern-society","category-personal","category-technology","tag-artificial-intelligence","tag-data-center-cooling","tag-data-centers","tag-energy-efficiency","tag-government-regulation","tag-land-use","tag-media-coverage","tag-power-usage","tag-renewable-energy","tag-smart-regulation","tag-technology-infrastructure","tag-water-usage"],"yoast_head":"\n