전기·물 먹는 하마 결국 '멈칫'... 미국 최초 AI 데이터센터 건설 중지

【Anchor】 AI data centers are often referred to as "electricity and water-guzzling hippos." Consequently, local residents in areas where data centers are being built frequently oppose them, fearing rising electricity rates and environmental damage caused by excessive water usage. Faced with these issues, New York State has announced measures to temporarily suspend the construction of mega-data centers, a first in the United States. World Reporter Yoo Young-sun reports. 【Reporter】 Large cranes and heavy equipment are moving ceaselessly across a site that stretches as far as the eye can see. This is the site of the mega-AI data center currently under construction by Meta in Ohio. The total area is 3.24 million square meters, equivalent to the size of approximately 450 soccer fields. It will house server facilities for AI services and cloud operations, with a capacity of 1 gigawatt. However, residents are venting their dissatisfaction, complaining that their once-quiet town has turned into a construction site. [Briand Kidd / Wood County Resident: I moved here six years ago. I wanted to raise my children in a quiet and peaceful countryside, but that dream is coming true.] As the AI ​​industry grows rapidly, the construction of massive data centers is also accelerating around the world. Big tech companies such as Alphabet, Amazon, Meta, and Microsoft are investing a staggering $720 billion this year alone to expand their data centers. The problem is that data centers consume enormous amounts of electricity and water. In fact, a 1-gigawatt data center requires one nuclear power plant to ensure a stable power supply, and consumes an average of 2 billion liters of water annually. Residents at the Meta data center construction site in Ohio have come forward to oppose the project as the construction of a gas power generation facility to supply electricity is worsening the local air quality. [Christine Coltrip / Perisburg, Ohio Resident: In Memphis, Tennessee, air pollution is really severe.] [Nevertheless, the Environmental Protection Agency is taking no action.] Additionally, a recent poll showed that only one in three Americans approved of accelerating data center construction, while the rest opposed the establishment of data centers in their residential areas. Faced with these issues, New York State has decided to suspend the construction of new mega-data centers with a power consumption of 50 megawatts or more for up to one year. New York State is the first in the U.S. to suspend data center construction due to electricity costs and environmental burdens. [Cathy Hockal / Governor of New York: Today, I am signing a measure to temporarily suspend the development of mega-data centers across New York State, the first such measure in the United States.] Taking this measure as an opportunity, New York State plans to re-evaluate the impact of data centers on the power grid, water resources, and the surrounding environment. It also announced that it will establish common environmental standards to apply to future facilities based on this assessment. This is Yoo Young-sun reporting for World News. #NewYork #DataCenter #AI #BigTech #PowerConsumption ▶ Subscribe to OBS News Channel https://youtube.com/@obs3660?sub_conf... ▶ Read more OBS News articles PC : http://www.obsnews.co.kr Mobile : http://m.obs.co.kr ▶ Report to OBS News Email : [email protected] Phone : 032-670-5555