{"683306":{"#nid":"683306","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Powering the Future \u2014 Without Breaking the Grid","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EAs Georgia positions itself as a hub for digital infrastructure, communities across the state are facing a growing challenge: how to welcome the economic benefits of data centers while managing their significant environmental and infrastructure impacts.\u0026nbsp;These facilities, essential for powering artificial intelligence, cloud computing, and everyday internet use, are also among the most resource-intensive buildings in the modern economy.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EWhile companies like Microsoft and Google have pledged to reach net-zero emissions, experts say more transparency and smarter policy are needed to ensure that data center development aligns with community and environmental priorities. That means ensuring adequate energy infrastructure, investing in renewables, training local workers, and mitigating water and carbon impacts through innovation.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EA New Kind of Energy Crunch\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe rapid rise of AI is fueling explosive demand for computing power \u2014 and in turn, energy.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cThe proliferation of AI workloads has significantly increased data center energy requirements,\u201d says\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/ece.gatech.edu\/directory\/divya-mahajan\u0022\u003EDivya Mahajan\u003C\/a\u003E, assistant professor in the School of Electrical and Computer Engineering.\u0026nbsp;\u201cLarge-scale AI training, especially for language models, leads to elevated and sustained power draw, often nearing the thermal and power envelopes of graphics processing units systems.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThis sustained demand is particularly challenging in hot, humid regions like Georgia, where cooling systems must work harder. \u201cTraining these models can cause thermal instability that directly affects cooling efficiency and power provisioning,\u201d Mahajan explains. \u201cThis amplifies reliance on external cooling infrastructure, increasing water consumption and grid strain.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EEnvironmental and Economic Pressure\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cEach new data center could lead to greenhouse gas emissions equivalent to a small town,\u201d says Marilyn Brown,\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/iac.gatech.edu\/people\/person\/marilyn-a-brown\u0022\u003ERegents\u2019 and Brook Byers Professor of Sustainable Systems in the School of Public Policy\u003C\/a\u003E. \u201cIn Georgia, the growth of data centers has already led to plans for new gas plants and the extension of aging coal plants.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThere\u2019s an environmental cost to this growth: electricity and water. A single large data center can consume up to 5 million gallons of water per day.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ERising demand has a price. \u201cIt\u2019s simple supply and demand,\u201d\u0026nbsp;says\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.scs.gatech.edu\/people\/ahmed-saeed\u0022\u003EAhmed Saeed\u003C\/a\u003E, assistant professor at the School of Computer Science.\u0026nbsp;\u201cAs overall power demand increases, if supply doesn\u2019t keep up, costs will rise and the most affected will be lower-income consumers.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EStill, experts are optimistic that policy and technology can help mitigate these impacts.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EInnovation May Hold the Key\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EDespite the challenges, experts see opportunities for innovation. \u201cTechnologies like direct-to-chip cooling and liquid cooling are promising,\u201d says Mahajan. \u201cBut they\u2019re not yet widespread.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ESaeed notes that some companies are experimenting with radical ideas, like Microsoft\u2019s underwater Project Natick or locating data centers in Nordic countries where ambient air can be used for cooling. These approaches challenge conventional infrastructure norms by placing servers underwater or in remote, cold regions. \u201cThese are exciting, but we need scalable solutions that work in places like Georgia,\u201d he emphasizes.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EWhat Communities Should Ask For\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAs communities compete to attract data centers, experts say they should push for commitments that go beyond job creation.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cCommunities should ensure that their power infrastructure can handle the added load without compromising resilience or increasing costs,\u201d Saeed advises. \u201cThey should also require that data centers use renewable energy or invest in local clean energy projects.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ETraining and hiring local workers is another key benefit communities can demand. \u201cDeployment and maintenance of data centers require skilled workers,\u201d Saeed adds. \u201cOperators should invest in technical training and hire locally.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EPolicy Can Make the Difference\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EStronger policy frameworks can ensure growth doesn\u2019t come at the expense of Georgia\u2019s most vulnerable communities.\u0026nbsp;\u201cWe need more transparency from companies about their energy and water use,\u201d says Brown. \u201cAnd we need policies that prevent the costs of supporting large consumers from being passed on to residential ratepayers.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ESome states are already taking action. Texas passed a bill to give regulators more control over large power consumers. In Georgia, a bill that would have paused tax breaks for data centers until their community impact was assessed was vetoed \u2014 but experts say the conversation is far from over.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cData centers are here to stay,\u201d says\u0026nbsp;Saeed. \u201cThe question is whether we can make them sustainable \u2014 before their footprint becomes too large to manage.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EAs Georgia emerges as a hub for digital infrastructure, the rapid growth of data centers \u2014 driven by rising demand for AI and cloud computing \u2014 presents both economic opportunity and environmental challenges. These resource-intensive facilities strain local power grids, increase greenhouse gas emissions, and consume millions of gallons of water daily. While companies pledge sustainability goals, Georgia Tech experts say stronger policies, greater transparency, and community-driven requirements are essential to ensure that growth benefits residents without overwhelming infrastructure or raising utility costs. Innovations in energy efficiency and cooling technologies show promise, but scalable solutions tailored to Georgia\u2019s climate are urgently needed.\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Georgia\u2019s booming data center industry brings economic promise and environmental pressure. Researchers say innovation and local action can tip the balance."}],"uid":"35798","created_gmt":"2025-07-25 19:41:22","changed_gmt":"2025-07-28 15:27:15","author":"Ayana Isles","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","location":"Atlanta, GA","dateline":{"date":"2025-07-25T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2025-07-25T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"677496":{"id":"677496","type":"image","title":"Data-Center.jpeg","body":null,"created":"1753473797","gmt_created":"2025-07-25 20:03:17","changed":"1753473797","gmt_changed":"2025-07-25 20:03:17","alt":"Server room in data center","file":{"fid":"261399","name":"Data-Center.jpeg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2025\/07\/25\/Data-Center.jpeg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2025\/07\/25\/Data-Center.jpeg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":19314656,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2025\/07\/25\/Data-Center.jpeg?itok=RVVooqjd"}}},"media_ids":["677496"],"groups":[{"id":"1214","name":"News Room"},{"id":"1188","name":"Research Horizons"}],"categories":[{"id":"194606","name":"Artificial Intelligence"},{"id":"144","name":"Energy"},{"id":"194611","name":"State Impact"}],"keywords":[{"id":"110561","name":"data centers"},{"id":"58181","name":"environmental impact"},{"id":"187915","name":"go-researchnews"}],"core_research_areas":[{"id":"39431","name":"Data Engineering and Science"},{"id":"39531","name":"Energy and Sustainable Infrastructure"}],"news_room_topics":[{"id":"71881","name":"Science and Technology"}],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:aisles3@gatech.edu\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EAyana Isles\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003ESenior Media Relations Representative\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/div\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003EInstitute Communications\u003C\/div\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":[],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}}}