Era4 has proposed a plan to the Kent County Council for an AI data centre to be built in Broad Oak just two miles from the City of Canterbury spanning 13,000sq ft. They claim to be in support for “sustainable power” through “domestic renewable energy” yet lack any transparency by failing to provide detailed methods or examples of how this would happen. 

AI data centres have been proven to cause long term environmental damage due to the use of fossil fuels causing pollution and contributing towards global warming. The long term consequences of AI data centres are experienced most by nearby residents such as the Meta AI data centre in Morgan County, Georgia causing the tap water in surrounding areas to become undrinkable forcing residents to pay for water for cooking and bathing, as well as dealing with a rapid decrease in water pressure. The news article covering this can be found here: AOC presses EPA over Morgan County drinking water concerns as Meta defends Georgia data center operations

Stargate Data Centre in Abilene, Texas is one of the largest AI data centres in the world. PBS Terra carried out an investigation along with independent journalists who used testing kits to show the levels of pollution emitting from the AI data centre site through excessive heat levels. The pollution is not the only problem, as this is also a huge contributor towards global warming. Multiple AI companies are in violation of environmental regulation laws but face little to no consequence as it’s not regulated enough. 

Even though this data centre, like many others are powered by electricity and water, they are in no way sustainable. Era4 claim to offer sustainable solutions however this investigation into the “sustainable” Stargate Data Centre shows otherwise through the increase in pollution levels as well as the negative health effects on local residents. The full documentary can be found here: We Saw What AI Data Centres Don’t Want You To See

• Let’s prevent this from happening in Canterbury.