Local Environmental Impacts of Data Center Proliferation

Demand for data centers is increasing worldwide, raising questions about electric grid stability, the transition to renewable energy, and distribution infrastructure needs. Northern Virginia is home to data centers where computers process nearly 70 percent of global digital traffic, leading officials to call for the construction, at ratepayers’ cost, of new power plants and hundreds of miles of new transmission lines across countryside in four states, as well as the continued operation of coal-powered power plants that had been scheduled to go offline.

This webinar examines the environmental impacts and policy implications of data center growth, the consequences for residents of Northern Virginia and nearby states, and law, policy, and research needs to manage and direct sustainable growth. What will happen as demand for data centers continues to grow? How will local communities be affected? What consequences might we expect for energy policy and infrastructure, and what implications will that have for local communities and national climate goals? Join the Environmental Law Institute and Network for Digital Economy and Environment leading experts in the field to discuss these questions and many more!