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When the Edgar Thomson Works opened in 1875, few couldhave imagined that Southwestern Pennsylvania would one day be dotted withformer steel mill sites, now called brownfields, in states of repair and reuse. As the new industrial revolution of AI datacenters sweeps the region, it’s just as difficult to crystal ball its effectson the landscape and environment.
Over the next 150 years, some environmental advocates and researcherssay Southwestern Pennsylvania could see a deluge of hyperscale data centers —those that cover 10,000 square feet and typically use at least 100 megawatts ofelectricity. They worry that the facilities will siphon large quantities oflocal energy and are concerned about effects on water supplies.
As these resources are pushed to their limits, though, afull transition to clean energy could be in store for the future. The datacenter buildout could also turn out to be narrower than anticipated, asoperators focus on “right-sizing” their operations in anticipation of abursting artificial intelligence bubble.
