Stories
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Artificial intelligence is increasingly creeping into our lives. And in support of that super technology, nondescript data centers are popping up in cities, towns and even near cattle ranches. They require lots of power — creating new challenges for utilities. -
AI data centers use large amounts of water for cooling. And many are being built in the drought-stricken Mountain West, sparking concerns over water supplies. -
Maybe, but even the ones that want to be environmentally friendly face energy challenges. -
A new data center campus is currently under construction in Elyria-Swansea — a neighborhood already struggling with pollution from major highways and Colorado’s only oil and gas refinery. -
The Trump administration is betting on coal to solve the growing electricity dilemma for powering AI. But Inside Climate News' Jake Bolster writes that it's a “19th century technology being used to solve a 21st century problem.”
Listen to the Full Show
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Today’s show is all about data centers. We’re airing a series of stories from our partners at the Mountain West News Bureau, focused on this topic. We’ll dive into concerns about future water supplies and why one company thinks a remote cattle ranch near Evanston is an ideal spot for a data center. Then we’ll zoom out and hear from our reporters. The Trump administration is looking to coal to meet the daunting power demand for AI, but there's concern about a bubble around the AI industry and what would happen if that bubble popped. Plus, we’ll hear from the vice president of a data center being built in Cheyenne. Those stories and more.
