Flashy headlines are not enough. The Sierra Club Miami Group has adopted a policy statement on data centers, which are proliferating across the country. We’re communicating the statement to local elected officials and planning directors. We’re using it to help local municipalities craft sound regulations to ensure that data centers, if built, will be community assets. Among the recommendations are: onsite renewable energy, batteries for emergency power, a closed loop cooling system, no tax abatements, and a transparent review process involving local residents.
The policy states: “Data Centers can be assets to their host communities, but they can also be liabilities. Appropriate regulations can eliminate or minimize the harms associated with data centers, while preserving or enhancing the benefits. Sierra Club Miami Group encourages municipalities to adopt regulations that ensure that future data centers will be good ones.”
