A University of Michigan student studying environmental science is weighing both the necessity and the consequences of rapid data center expansion in Michigan, especially as they emerge near Ann Arbor and Saline Township.
Amelia Isacksen, a junior at the University of Michigan and environmental education intern with the Tip of the Mitt Watershed Council, said her research has led her to a complicated conclusion about digital infrastructure.
“As someone who works in environmental science, I have taken a lot of time to speak with professors, as well as do personal research about data centers, how they are necessary, and their impacts. In our modern technological age, they are necessary with our reliance on cloud computing. However, thinking critically about the way we implement them, regulate them, and develop them is vital,” Isacksen said…