Underwater data centers are heading for waters that endangered whales call home

Undersea data centers have shown promise in reliable operation without excessive heat generation. However, these underwater installations could pose significant threats to fragile marine ecosystems. DeepGreen Holdings has applied for permits to create two underwater data center projects in Alaska and Maine, both of which overlap with habitats of endangered whale populations.

The Cook Inlet site would house 66 modular data center pods powered by tidal turbines, generating 100 megawatts of electricity. The Maine project would be smaller, utilizing 50 tidal turbines to supply 51 megawatts of power to a data center cluster. The proposed sites would affect two distinct endangered whale populations: 300 beluga whales in Cook Inlet and fewer than 400 North Atlantic right whales in the Gulf of Maine.

These whales rely on echolocation for navigation, communication, and feeding. Stress from the underwater data centers could lead to unpredictable impacts on whale behavior. DeepGreen's plans are unprecedented in scale and scope, with no existing projects of similar magnitude. While pilot projects like Microsoft's Project Natick have demonstrated viability, DeepGreen's proposal lacks comparable evidence.

Construction hasn't begun, but FERC has required modifications to the initial proposal, citing missing documentation about Indigenous tribes with historical ties to the affected areas. DeepGreen's CEO, Louis Wolfson, stated the company is open to complying with environmental protection measures, but deployment will only occur if equipment can operate safely within federal marine mammal thresholds.