Protesters across Europe to call for freeze on energy hungry data centres

Over 100 rights groups in 15 European countries will rally against the rapid expansion of energy-intensive data centres this Friday and Saturday, November 6-7. The protests, called Stop Dirty Data Centres, are taking place in Ireland, Poland, Denmark, Finland, Spain, the Netherlands, France, and the United Kingdom. The groups argue that the development of these centers poses numerous issues, including strain on local communities, public infrastructure, land, water, and energy resources, as well as concerns about housing, jobs, and the cost of living.

Owen Espley, coordinator of StopDirtyDataCentres.eu, emphasized that these actions come as communities across Europe challenge the imposition of energy and land-hungry data centres in their neighborhoods. The protests follow the US mid-term elections, where the issue of data centres' impact on local communities and the environment emerged as a crucial factor.

Democrats in the US have pledged to halt further AI center development and curb Big Tech, while Republicans are viewed as encouraging data centers' unrestricted growth. Concerns about data center projects' effects on daily life, such as rising energy bills and water scarcity, are shared by residents living near these facilities.

Additionally, the environmental impact, such as air pollution from backup generators, heavy construction traffic, and the constant humming of the machines, is a significant worry for those living close to data centers. The protests aim to push political leaders to implement moratoria on large-scale data centers at various levels to address concerns and properly scrutinize their impacts.

Environmentalists, digital rights groups, civil society organizations, and others are participating in the demonstrations, including demonstrations, public meetings, stalls, petitions, walking tours, cycle rides, poetry readings, and other actions. Europe is accelerating its rollout of data centers to catch up with the US and China in the race to develop and deploy AI technologies.

Annual investment in data center projects in Europe has surged from €12 billion in 2020 to €25-26 billion in 2023, with total spending projected to reach €176 billion between 2026 and 2031, as per the PwC Global Data Centre Outlook 2026-2050.