Is Korea’s future being compromised by data centers causing water and electricity shortages that are being passed on to citizens? The construction of data centers, which are large-scale facilities that store and process vast amounts of digital information, is accelerating across the country. However, as the number of data centers increases, so do concerns about their impact on the environment and local communities. In particular, the massive amount of electricity and water required to operate data centers is putting a strain on local resources. The Korea Internet & Information Center (KISA) predicted that the power consumption of data centers in Korea will more than double by 2025, reaching 6.6 TWh. This is equivalent to the annual power consumption of about 1.2 million households. In addition, data centers require a large amount of water for cooling systems to prevent overheating of servers. It is estimated that a single large data center uses as much water as 10,000 households a year. Despite these environmental concerns, the construction of data centers is accelerating. Currently, about 100 data centers are being built or planned across the country, with major cities such as Seoul, Busan, and Daejeon emerging as data center hubs. Experts warn that if the construction of data centers continues without proper measures, it could lead to a shortage of electricity and water, which would have to be covered by citizens. They also point out that the environmental impact of data centers is not being properly assessed. The government and local authorities need to take a closer look at the issue and come up with measures to mitigate the impact of data centers on the environment and local communities.
Heavy rainfall and high temperatures in Ireland have led to a significant increase in water usage, with the population exceeding 40% in the Dublin metropolitan area experiencing a decrease in rainfall to as low as 28mm in the summer, which is the lowest in 94 years. Despite this, the amount of water used by data centers remains uncertain. Despite government efforts to promote AI data centers, the lack of transparency around water and energy consumption presents challenges for local communities.
Written by urgent.news from Hankyoreh's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
