Tech companies ‘be on alert,’ NAACP says with new guiding principles for data centers
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Summary
The NAACP has called on local communities to demand greater accountability from companies building new data centres, in light of the environmental concerns around the growing construction of such centres in order to support AI initiatives.
The NAACP’s “guiding principles” call on companies to be upfront about the potential environmental impact of new builds and to work with local communities to mitigate any harmful effects on water, air quality and housing.
The move comes as utilities and tech firms increasingly look to fossil fuel energy to meet the rising demand for data centres, which had led to a jump in nitrogen dioxide levels in areas where they have been installed.
The NAACP is already fighting Elon Musk’s xAI data centre in Memphis, Tennessee, and is now releasing a “unifying guide” to offer support and legal backing to communities resisting new data centres and fossil fuel infrastructure projects.