this post was submitted on 31 Mar 2026
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Data centers are creating ‘heat islands’ and warming the land around them by up to 16 degrees | CNN (www.cnn.com)
submitted 1 day ago by mesamunefire@piefed.social to c/technology@lemmy.world
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The vast data centers that power artificial intelligence are so energy hungry that they’re heating up their surroundings, according to new research. It’s an alarming finding given the number of data centers is predicted to explode over the next few years.

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[–] ExcessShiv@lemmy.dbzer0.com 9 points 23 hours ago (4 children)

Isn't the largest data center currently something like 100MW? So "only" 0.1GW...65.000 space heaters is still insane though.

[–] Einskjaldi@lemmy.world 2 points 15 hours ago

You can have a complex of multiples though and they to congregate near each other for short interconnection.

[–] mushroommunk@lemmy.today 9 points 23 hours ago (1 children)

That currently exist? I believe Colossus is pushing 150MW and aiming for 300. But Gigawatt centers are on the way

[–] ExcessShiv@lemmy.dbzer0.com 1 points 12 hours ago

I mean, it's a bit disingenuous to use a GW example in relation to the article, when the largest currently in operation is 0.15GW

[–] expatriado@lemmy.world 8 points 23 hours ago* (last edited 18 hours ago) (2 children)

we were asked 400MW for a new data center, we told them 100MW is the max we could provide for now, and increase later, we have a new natural gas plant soon to enter operation to replace two retiring coal plants, but looks like we're postponing decommission targets to keep demand

[–] Cethin@lemmy.zip 3 points 8 hours ago

I've had a pretty longstanding belief that a lot of the AI push is to inflate energy demand, as we increasingly add more renewables. In order to keep dirty energy "creating revenue" we need an energy sink to offset any added energy. I think this was crypto, and then NFTs. Those both faded away as soon as the AI stuff started being pushed. I don't believe this is totally a coincidence.

[–] wonderingwanderer@sopuli.xyz 4 points 18 hours ago

The planet is fucked.

[–] LodeMike@lemmy.today 4 points 23 hours ago

Oh. I originally put megawatt and thought that was too small so I just incremented the metric exponent.