AI Data Centers - HEADS UP!
I recently viewed a video entitled, “We Saw What AI Data Centers Don’t Want You To See,” that was put on You Tube by PBS, Terra and Floodlight News on 6-3-2026. The video describes how these Data Centers are very controversial due to their adverse impact on local Electric Utility rates, their voracity for consuming large quantities of water, as well as creating noise pollution. But, the video goes on to show there are other, lesser-known effects that we need to be made aware of, that might not be as well-known. It is my hope that this short article will raise awareness about how they are creeping into our lives because of the secrecy used in initially getting them established, and of some other, hidden effects.
Initially, when the promoters of AI Data Centers pitch them to citizens, they oftentimes claim that they will use Renewables or Nuclear Energy to power them. But, what they won’t tell you is that nearly all of them initially start up by using Jet Turbines powered by Natural Gas. What is worse is that these Jet Turbines are mounted on trailers, so that they are considered “temporary” with minimal regulations, rather than permanant, which would require stricter regulation.
The article shows how a journalist using a drone equipped with a thermal camera can visually render an alarming thermal footprint created by these AI Data Centers. Besides creating noise, they also create pollution, and massive amounts of heat, so much so that they can raise the air temperature nearby – by 2 degrees! That alone, plus the massive use of water resources, shows that they would likely cause long-term environmental damage. People with respiratory diseases would be especially at risk.
In summary, here are the key take-aways:
Big Tech Companies use NDA’s, (Non-Disclosure Agreements), to prevent public oversight and inquiry. NDA’s are normally used to protect intellectual property from leaking out to a company’s competitors, but the NDA’s used by Big Tech are used to intentionally hide their plans from regulatory oversight and the public eye.
They use PBR’s, (Permit By Rule), to get fast, initial approval, with minimal oversight. This allows them to get a permit quickly with minimal requirements, in order to gain a foothold in a community without Public Notice, Input, or Oversight. They misuse these PBR’s, which were originally designed to help streamline small, family-run businesses like dry-cleaners or laundromats, to get started.
They gain approvals by saying that Renewables or Nuclear Energy will power it, when in reality they plan to start them up quickly utilizing Jet-Powered Turbines mounted on “temporary” trailers. They also fail to state that they will consume millions of gallons of water.
Ron Wesoloski
