Data center fights need two ledgers
Molly Taft reports on opposition to data centers, from water use to power bills. She says a second question is getting less attention: emissions if new AI facilities rely on gas. Local benefits and broader climate costs need separate evidence, not a single slogan.
What the source reports
Molly Taft's WIRED column says people near proposed data centers often focus on water use and power bills. Those are real local questions. Taft also asks readers to examine the wider climate cost if more AI facilities are powered by gas. The article cites forecasts for power demand and emissions. Those forecasts depend on what gets built and how it is powered. They are not counts of emissions from completed plants. A local review can weigh jobs, tax revenue, land, water, and rates. A second ledger should show the assumptions behind any climate forecast. One ledger should not erase the other.
Original source
- Title
- The Data Center Backlash Should Also Be a Climate Reckoning. It Isn’t Yet
- Author
- Molly Taft
- Publication
- WIRED
- Date
- Sunday, September 27, 2026