The Bad
The Bad
Growth has costs. Communities should know what they are.
This page does not tell you what conclusion to reach. For each issue it answers the same five questions: what it is, why it matters, how it is measured, what residents should ask, and where the data can be found.
Power
Electricity demand
Every issue on this page follows the same five-question structure. This is the worked example.
Possible impact · varies by project- What is it?
- The amount of electricity a facility draws, continuously, once operating. Large facilities are often described by their power capacity rather than their floor area.
- Why does it matter?
- New load can require new generation, substations and lines. How those costs are allocated among the facility, the utility and other customers is a decision, not an automatic outcome.
- How is it measured?
- Requested and contracted capacity (megawatts), expected annual consumption (megawatt-hours), and peak-demand timing, as stated in interconnection requests and utility filings.
- What should residents ask?
- How much electricity is expected to be consumed? Who pays for required grid upgrades? Is there a large-load tariff or special contract, and is it public? What happens to other customers' rates?
- Where can the data be found?
- State public utility commission dockets, the utility's integrated resource plan, interconnection queue filings, large-load tariff filings, and the project's zoning or permit application.
Water
Water use and cooling
Possible impact · varies by design and climate- What is it?
- Water withdrawn or consumed for cooling. Some designs use very little water and more electricity; others use more water and less electricity. The tradeoff is a design choice.
- Why does it matter?
- In water-constrained regions, a new industrial user competes with homes, farms and future growth, and drought rules may change what is available.
- How is it measured?
- Annual withdrawal and consumption (gallons or acre-feet), the source (municipal, groundwater, surface, reclaimed), and the cooling design specified in permits.
- What should residents ask?
- What water source will be used? What happens during drought conditions? Is the commitment enforceable, and will actual use be reported?
- Where can the data be found?
- Water-rights filings, municipal water service agreements, state engineer or water-board records, and environmental review documents.
Where the data lives
Most of what residents need is already a public record.
The remaining issues in the index are published in the same five-question format as their citation cards are completed.
We need your help now.
Data center decisions are being made this fall in county chambers and utility dockets across the country. Your contribution puts sourced information, a public survey and a project-by-project record in front of the people who will live with them.