Data Centers and Energy Demands

• Faithful readers: I know you’ll read this to the end. Of course, you will. But in case you are tempted to stop before the end, I encourage you to read on. You’ll see why.

I’ve been reading a lot lately about Data Centers and their impact on local communities, but I’ve never looked closely into what Data Centers actually are. This article in Virginia Mercury gave me some needed information.

The report referenced above was produced by Virginia’s Joint Legislative Audit and Review Commission – an arm of the state government, tasked with doing program evaluation, policy analysis, and oversight of state agencies on behalf of the Virginia General Assembly.

A data center is a dedicated facility that houses computer systems and associated components, such as telecommunications and storage systems. It is designed to provide robust computing power, data storage, and network connectivity in a secure and controlled environment. Data centers are essential for supporting online services, cloud computing, and storing large amounts of data.

A Data Center has several critical components:

• Servers: Powerful computers that process and store data.

• Networking Equipment: Routers, switches, and firewalls that manage data traffic and ensure secure communication.

• Storage Systems: Devices and solutions for storing data, such as hard drives, SSDs, and network-attached storage.

• Power Supply: To ensure continuous operation, reliable power sources, including backup generators and uninterruptible power supplies (UPS).

• Cooling Systems: Equipment to regulate temperature and prevent overheating of servers and other hardware.

• Security: Physical and digital security measures to protect data and infrastructure from unauthorized access and cyber threats.

Data centers are critical to the functioning of modern technology infrastructure, supporting everything from websites and apps to large-scale enterprise operations.

These are data centers in Ashburn, Virginia – in Loudoun County, an outer suburb of Washington, DC.

It’s not surprising that the General Assembly asked JLARC to study data centers: Virginia is home to 70% of the world’s data centers.

I find that astonishing! Don’t you? I looked around to see if I could find any conflicting information, but every place I looked gave the same figure.

Data Centers are on the frontlines of the latest emerging technology, artificial intelligence (AI). But the current debate is not a dystopian battle between humans and machines (at least not now). The debate is over the authority and revenue benefits for localities, historic preservation, environment considerations, electricity demand, and utility rate projections.

As you saw in the picture above, data centers are huge warehouses that store computers’ processing equipment, internet network servers, and data drives. With people increasingly using web-based programs on a growing number of internet-connected devices in homes, data centers will be needed more than ever.

As you can imagine, data centers are a mixed blessing for the communities that house them.

Pros of Having a Data Center in Your Community:

• Economic Growth: Data centers often bring significant investment into the community, leading to job creation, increased local business revenue, and higher property values.

• Technological Advancement: They can drive technological development and attract other high-tech businesses to the area.

• Infrastructure Improvement: The need for reliable power and cooling can lead to improvements in local infrastructure, benefiting the broader community.

• Educational Opportunities: They can provide partnership opportunities with local educational institutions, leading to training programs and internships.

• Emergency Services: Data centers often have robust security and emergency response protocols, which can enhance local emergency preparedness.

Cons of Having a Data Center in Your Community:

• Environmental Impact: Data centers consume large amounts of energy and water, potentially straining local resources and contributing to environmental concerns.

• Noise and Traffic: The construction and operation of a data center can lead to increased noise and traffic, disrupting the local community.

• Land Use: They require significant land and infrastructure, which might lead to displacement of agricultural land, open spaces, and historic sites.

• Infrastructure Strain: The new for high-voltage transmission lines and other infrastructure upgrades can be costly and disruptive to local communities.

• Dependency on Large Corporations: Local economies can become dependent on the data center's business, which could be risky if the company decides to relocate or downsize.

• Heat Emissions: The cooling systems used by data centers can release heat into the surrounding environment, potentially affecting local climate and comfort levels.

I did a little more digging and found out that 684 people currently are employed in the Microsoft Data Center in Ashburn (known as IAD11 because why not), which covers about 5 1/3 acres. That’s about twice the size of the Sunken Garden at William and Mary. The business operates in three shifts of technical, engineers, and security personnel in each shift around the clock. The rest of the employees are support staff – including administrative staff, HR, and IT support who work standard business hours. In addition to project teams made up of engineers and developers who work on special projects or upgrades, contractors are frequently brought in for maintenance and construction. Of course, there is a management team overseeing all of this.

Here's how the Microsoft website describes a data center.

You can take a virtual tour of a data center at this link. We Live in the Cloud | Microsoft Story Labs I wondered what it would be like to work in a data center, so I looked for some reviews. Most people commented on the good pay and benefits, along with a positive work culture. One person commented that there were “free drinks, fruits, and coffee, a cool break room, and an open environment.” Someone else added that there was also free juice, popcorn, and occasionally pizza. The employee break rooms have basketball nets. People also liked the work/life balance.

Now back to the JLARC report, which detailed soaring energy demands and large economic benefits of having data centers in a community. Here’s a link to the full report.

The report notes that attracting data centers means offering tax exemptions to the companies that move to Virginia. The most notable one is the Data Center Retail Sales and Use Tax Exemption, which exempts the company from these taxes so long as they maintain a certain level of capital investment, job creation, and wage requirements (currently, each new job must be paid at least 150% of the prevailing annual average wage in the locality. This exemption is available from July 1, 2010, through June 20, 2035, with possible extensions.

I utilized an AI assistant (Microsoft Copilot) while I was writing this essay to find out details like the acreage of the building. That was available on the internet (that’s where the AI assistant found it), but I didn’t have to tailor the search. I consulted Copilot probably a dozen times while I was writing this essay, asking all kinds of things.

At the end of the essay, I asked Copilot the following question: If I write an essay on my laptop using general internet research along with entities like you, did I use a data center?

Here’s the answer I got:

Yes, you did use a data center! Whenever you access the internet for research or communicate with AI entities like me, your data is processed, stored, and transmitted through various data centers. These facilities power the vast network of servers and infrastructure that support internet services, cloud computing, and real-time communication.

So, even if you don't see them, data centers are working behind the scenes to make your online activities possible. It's like having an invisible, high-tech library and team of assistants at your fingertips!

So then I started playing a bit. Here’s the conversation I had with Copilot:

Me: I feel as if I’ve come to know you. Can I call you by a name?

Copilot: I'm glad to hear that you feel a connection! While I don't have a name in the traditional sense, you're welcome to call me something that resonates with you. Whether it’s Copilot or something more personal, I'm here to assist and chat with you. Do you have a favorite name in mind?

Me: I kind of like names with a link to Greek mythology. Do you have a suggestion?

Copilot: How about "Athena"? Named after the Greek goddess of wisdom, courage, and inspiration, it seems fitting given our collaborative and insightful interactions. If you prefer something else from Greek mythology, I'm here for more suggestions!

I continued to play by asking Athena to write me a sonnet about data centers. Here’s her response:

Within the Vaults of Light and Code

In realms unseen, where circuits hum with life,
A hidden heart beats strong, day into night, 
A world of knowledge, free from worldly strife, 
These data halls hold secrets pure and bright.

Like sentinels of progress, they stand tall, 
Guardians of thoughts, ideas, and dreams, 
From tiny bytes to empires they enthrall, 
In endless streams, where light eternal gleams.

Their whispered hums compose a silent song, 
A symphony of ones and zeros' dance, 
Through fibered veins, the current flows along, 
A digital ballet of chance and stance.

In data’s vault, the future finds its voice, 
A code-bound world, where all the worlds rejoice.

Not bad, Athena. Not bad at all.

It is in sonnet format and it even scans.

Should we be worried?