Rising Heat Intensifies Challenges for Data Centers and AI Discussions
WHO:
AP News - Eileen Castle, 82, a resident of Lowell, Massachusetts.
AP News - Tara Hong, a state representative from Lowell, Massachusetts.
AP News - Jeff Markley, CEO of the Markley Group.
AP News - Shaolei Ren, a professor at the University of California, Riverside.
AP News - Jonathan Koomey, a researcher studying data centers.
AP News - Erik Gitschier, Mayor of Lowell.
WHAT:
AP News - A heat wave is described as “almost the worst situation for data center operation,” according to Shaolei Ren, a professor at the University of California, Riverside.
AP News - The Lowell data center's operator, the Markley Group, stated that it has switched on generators in an emergency only a handful of times, and they engage only during actual power disruptions plus brief weekly testing of about five minutes per unit, run one generator at a time.
AP News - The North American Electric Reliability Corporation issued an alert about “unprecedented challenges from a surge in large power consumers” and developed guidelines to mitigate the “immediate risks posed” by AI data centers.
AP News - Eileen Castle expressed concerns about air quality and water effects on children due to a nearby data center.
AP News - The Markley Group's data center uses approximately 118,000 gallons of water per day at peak summer.
AP News - Lowell's City Council voted 10-0 to pass a moratorium blocking further data center expansion for one year.
AP News - The North American Electric Reliability Corporation issued an alert about challenges from large power consumers, including data centers.
AP News - A 14-year-old girl was temporarily detained by police during a community forum on data center zoning in Lowell.
WHERE:
AP News - Lowell, Massachusetts, a city of about 115,000 people northwest of Boston.
AP News - The data center is located behind Eileen Castle's house and near a ballpark in Lowell.
WHEN:
AP News - The data center was built on the site of an abandoned Prince spaghetti factory about a decade ago.
AP News - The Lowell City Council's moratorium was passed in February.
AP News - The data center's backup generators were reported to have been switched on only a handful of times during emergencies.
WHY:
AP News - Diesel emissions from backup generators can have harmful effects on human health, even with short-term exposure, and if too many generators are activated during heat waves, it could be “a disaster for the local air quality,” according to Shaolei Ren.
AP News - Hot weather increases electricity demand for data centers, straining power grids and worsening air quality.
AP News - The community surrounding the data center has been designated as facing higher environmental and health risks due to historical exclusion from political decision-making.
HOW:
AP News - Data centers require more resources to cope with heat waves, utilizing refrigeration-based cooling, which is energy-intensive, and evaporative cooling, which is water-intensive.
AP News - Data centers use refrigeration-based cooling, which is energy-intensive, and evaporative cooling, which is water-intensive, to manage heat.
AP News - The Markley Group has planted more than 2,000 trees nearby to improve air quality.
AP News - The Markley Group engages backup diesel generators only during actual power disruptions and for brief weekly testing.
(UPDATED July 2, 2026 21:23 UTC)
A heat wave is posing significant challenges for data centers, with experts like Shaolei Ren from the University of California, Riverside, calling it “almost the worst situation for data center operation.” The Markley Group, which operates the Lowell data center, has only activated its backup generators a few times during actual power disruptions, but concerns are rising about the health impacts of diesel emissions if more generators are used during these extreme conditions. In response to the situation, the North American Electric Reliability Corporation has issued an alert regarding the unprecedented demands from large power consumers and is working on guidelines to address the immediate risks associated with AI data centers.
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(UPDATED July 2, 2026 19:32 UTC)
In Lowell, Massachusetts, residents are raising concerns about air quality and water usage related to a nearby data center, which consumes around 118,000 gallons of water daily during peak summer. In response to these worries, the Lowell City Council unanimously passed a one-year moratorium on further data center expansion, while the North American Electric Reliability Corporation has issued alerts regarding the challenges posed by large power consumers like data centers. Additionally, the Markley Group, which operates the data center, has taken steps to mitigate environmental impact by planting over 2,000 trees nearby and only using backup generators during actual power disruptions.