Data centers have become one of the fastest-growing land uses in the Chesapeake Bay watershed. Northern Virginia alone, often called “Data Center Alley,” is home to the largest concentration of data centers in the world, with an estimated 70% of global internet traffic passing through the area. Now Maryland and Pennsylvania are seeing a surge in data center development, too.
This growth is reshaping the landscape, and many people are concerned about impacts on energy production and water use. Many data centers rely on evaporative cooling systems that withdraw millions of gallons of water a day from rivers and aquifers, often the same ones that supply public drinking water. Yet, there is no consistent regulation across the region that requires data centers to publicly share how much energy and water they use.
Residents living closest to these projects often know the least about them, largely because of nondisclosure agreements, or NDAs, that shield basic details — including how much water and energy a facility will use — from public view. The Chesapeake Bay Journal talked with the Chesapeake Legal Alliance to learn about these agreements, the information they protect and what residents can do about it…