Residents in Philadelphia are campaigning against the construction of new AI data centers, citing concerns over noise, pollution, and resource consumption. Activists from the group Philly Thrive are pushing for a moratorium on such projects, specifically targeting potential sites in Northeast Philadelphia and the Grays Ferry neighborhood.
The opposition reflects a broader national trend where communities with histories of industrial activity resist new data center developments. Similar moratoriums have already been enacted in cities including Denver, Indianapolis, Asheville, Charlotte, and Reno to allow officials to assess potential environmental and infrastructure impacts.
Projections from BloombergNEF indicate that U.S. data centers could consume more natural gas by 2035 than Germany and Japan combined. This estimate is nearly double the figure projected nine months ago. Research suggests that increased data center demand could generate an additional 1 million metric tons of greenhouse gas emissions daily.
In New York, Governor Kathy Hochul signed an executive order to temporarily halt the approval of new permits for large projects, emphasizing that data centers should only be built in receptive locations. Meanwhile, over 100 people participated in a rally at Philadelphia’s City Hall to demand that officials reject data center proposals.
