The Scientific Frontier

Data Centers

4 articles

A massive, futuristic AI data center casting a long shadow over a natural landscape, with concerned community members observing from a distance.
Energy & Environment

AI Data Centers' Massive Footprint Sparks Local Opposition Amidst Sustainability Push

Seven in 10 Americans reject the construction of an AI data center in their local area, a stark repudiation of the very infrastructure powering our future.

Samuel Adebayo·September 5, 2026
A sprawling, modern data center complex highlighting the immense energy demands and the challenges to green sustainability.
Energy & Environment

Data Center Energy Demands Strain Green Sustainability Challenges

In Virginia, data centers alone consumed an estimated 32 TWh out of 128 TWh total electricity in 2023, making them responsible for a quarter of the state's power usage, according to ElectricChoice .

Samuel Adebayo·August 23, 2026
A futuristic data center complex connected to a dynamic virtual power plant grid, illustrating Google's investment in sustainable energy for AI.
Instrumentation & Robotics

Google Funds 100MW Virtual Power Plant for Data Centers

Google, a company whose AI models consume power equivalent to a small city, just committed to a 100-megawatt virtual power plant (VPP) in the PJM region.

Yasmin Haddad·June 5, 2026
A modern data center powered by a vast network of solar panels and wind turbines, representing Google's 100 MW virtual power plant with Voltus.
Energy & Environment

Google taps Voltus for 100 MW virtual power plant energy supply

Google is the first named customer for Voltus's BYOC program, marking the initial instance of a hyperscaler directly funding a virtual power plant, according to Latitude Media .

Samuel Adebayo·June 4, 2026