The writer says an AI data center could use as much power and water as a town of 50,000, adds hardware and cooling impacts, and urges weighing costs for local communities.
Manitowoc Herald Times Reporter
Our journalists reflect on their 2025 impact
Journalists from across USA TODAY NETWORK-Wisconsin in Fond du Lac, Manitowoc, Oshkosh and Sheboygan reflect on the impact of their reporting in 2025. Created by the Wochit AI tool.
Wochit
AI data centers can consume as much electricity and water as a town of 50,000 people.The high energy consumption of these centers can lead to increased utility costs and reliance on nonrenewable sources.Water used to cool the data centers can strain local resources and raise municipal water costs.The letter questions whether the environmental and economic impacts of AI data centers are beneficial for communities.
Here is this week’s letter to the editor of the Herald Times Reporter. See our letters policy below for details about how to share your views.
Considering the impacts of AI data centers
Did you know that an AI data center could use as much electricity and water as a town of 50,000 people? That’s nearly twice the population of the city of Manitowoc — without the benefits of job creation, and with the future promise of significant job losses.
Think about the environmental costs.
AI data centers require a substantial amount of energy; for example, the energy used to generate a single image can power a refrigerator for hours. This energy consumption contributes to the overall environmental impact, as it often relies on nonrenewable energy sources. Increased electricity demand associated with AI technologies can lead to higher utility costs, potential regulatory fines or increased taxes aimed at reducing carbon footprints.
The greater computing power required also translates into higher water consumption, since water is used to cool the data centers that support AI tools. This increased water use can strain local resources and ecosystems and raise municipal water costs.
Producing the hardware used in AI data centers is complex and energy-intensive, adding to the carbon footprint of these technologies. These facilities require not only an initial investment but also ongoing maintenance and upgrades to keep up with technological change.
As AI technologies become more prevalent, we need to ask ourselves whether this is really what we want in our communities.
Michael F. Pitsch
Francis Creek
Our letters policy
Letters to the editor are published in the order in which they are received and letter-writers are limited to having one letter published per month. Letters can be emailed to htrnews@htrnews.com and Editor Brandon Reid at breid@usatodayco.com. Letters must meet specific guidelines, including being no more than 250 words and be from local authors or on topics of local interest. All submissions must include the name of the person who wrote the letter, their city of residence and a contact phone number. Letters are edited as needed for style, grammar, length, fairness, accuracy and libel.