We, the undersigned residents, business owners, farmers, parents, and community members, petition you to immediately impose a moratorium on new data center construction and expansions in our area until comprehensive, independent environmental and community impact assessments are completed and strict protective regulations are enacted.

The explosive growth of data centers—driven largely by artificial intelligence and cloud computing—poses an immediate and escalating threat to our health, environment, resources, quality of life, and economic well-being. These facilities are not benign “tech infrastructure.” They are industrial-scale operations that consume staggering amounts of public resources while delivering minimal lasting benefits to host communities.

The documented dangers include:

• Massive Energy Consumption and Rising Costs for Families: A single modern AI data center can consume as much electricity as 100,000 households. Larger ones under construction will use up to 20 times that amount. Nationally, data centers already account for roughly 4.4% of U.S. electricity use and are projected to reach 6.7–12% by 2028. This strains local power grids, risks blackouts, forces utilities to recommit to dirty fossil fuels, and drives up electricity bills for everyday residents and small businesses. Studies show clear negative effects on home energy costs, with many communities reporting sharp rate increases passed directly to ratepayers.
• Catastrophic Water Depletion: Large data centers require up to 5 million gallons of water per day for cooling—equivalent to the daily usage of a town of 10,000–50,000 people. Across the U.S., they are projected to consume billions more gallons annually by 2030. In drought-prone or growing regions, this directly competes with drinking water, agriculture, and household needs. Residents near existing facilities have reported wells running dry and local water authorities prioritizing corporate users over families.
• Air Pollution and Serious Health Risks: Thousands of on-site diesel backup generators (each the size of a rail car) run for testing and “demand response,” emitting dangerous levels of nitrogen oxides (NOx), fine particulate matter, and other pollutants—up to 200–600 times more NOx than natural gas plants in some cases. These emissions are linked to higher rates of asthma, respiratory illness, heart disease, and premature deaths. Independent modeling projects that unchecked data center growth could cause approximately 600,000 additional asthma symptom cases and over 1,300 premature deaths by 2030, with public health damages exceeding $20 billion. Vulnerable populations—children, the elderly, and low-income or communities of color already burdened by environmental injustice—suffer the most.
• Noise Pollution Destroying Quality of Life: Constant 24/7 humming from cooling systems and generators often exceeds 85–90 decibels, causing chronic sleep disruption, stress, anxiety, hypertension, and other health problems for nearby residents. Construction adds further disturbance, and many communities report the noise carrying for miles.
• Limited Economic Benefit and Hidden Costs: Data centers promise jobs and tax revenue, but they primarily create low-wage construction and maintenance positions—not high-paying tech jobs. They often receive massive tax breaks and subsidies while increasing strain on roads, schools, and public services. Long-term, they can depress property values in residential areas due to noise, pollution, and industrial appearance, while contributing to broader climate impacts through massive greenhouse gas emissions.

Public opinion reflects these realities: recent surveys show far more Americans view data centers as harmful to the environment, energy costs, and local quality of life than beneficial. Communities across Virginia, Georgia, Louisiana, Arizona, Michigan, and elsewhere have already organized against them, with calls growing for a national moratorium.

We cannot sacrifice our clean air, water, health, and affordable living for corporate profit and distant tech gains.

Therefore, we demand:

1. An immediate moratorium on approval of any new or expanded data centers until independent, publicly available impact studies assess energy, water, air quality, noise, health, and grid effects.
2. Mandatory use of 100% renewable energy sources with no reliance on fossil-fuel backup generators beyond true emergencies.
3. Strict limits on water withdrawal, requiring closed-loop or recycled systems and zero net impact on local supplies.
4. Enforceable noise standards, setbacks from homes and schools, and community buffers.
5. Full transparency: public disclosure of all energy/water usage, emissions, and emergency generator operations.
6. Community benefits agreements that guarantee real local job creation, infrastructure upgrades, and compensation for negative impacts—without shifting costs to residents.
7. Prioritization of environmental justice: no siting in already overburdened or low-income communities.

Our community’s future is at stake. We urge you to act decisively to protect residents over unchecked corporate expansion.