BILLINGS — As artificial intelligence grows in popularity, the demand for data centers also expands, raising questions about their environmental impact.
A data center is a warehouse with hundreds to thousands of computers that power everything from Google searches to Netflix streams. These centers have been around for decades, but artificial intelligence is quickly increasing the need for more as companies are training models such as ChatGPT.
See what an AI data center is below:
"Those server racks are doing everything from hosting websites to sending emails or processing big transactions," said Mike McDearmon, a volunteer with Central Montana Resource Council. "They're nothing new in concept. Data centers have been around for as long as computers have, but they really started to become more popularized. What's new is AI."
McDearmon has 15 years of experience working in the tech industry, including start-up projects and bigger developments, and he understands the role technology plays in our daily lives. He also volunteers with Central Montana Resource Council, which focuses on protecting the state's water resources and accessibility to clean energy.
As companies train and build AI models, they require specialized hardware and massive storage capacity for saving data.
The concern, according to McDearmon, comes from the scale of these new data warehouses.
"ChatGPT requires a lot of specialized hardware, lots of storage capacity for all of the training data that goes into making these models as effective as they are," McDearmon said. "All those computers in a small space are going to generate a lot of heat. That heat needs to be moved away from the computers. Otherwise, they're going to overheat, and the facility stops working. So that's where water comes in."
Data centers use water through pipes to keep the computers at a working temperature.
"One facility alone can require the equivalent of a large town's worth of water each day, and also the equivalent of a large city's worth of electricity," McDearmon said.
ChatGPT uses 10 times more power than a regular Google search, according to Anne Hedges, the executive director of the Montana Environmental Information Center (MEIC).
"They need a monstrous amount of power," Hedges said.
Hedges is hoping for regulations in Montana. According to Multistate.us, 40 states proposed legislation around artificial intelligence in 2025, including 16 states considering water usage laws.
"Right now, Montana is a free-for-all. Any data center who wants to come here has very few rules," Hedges said. "If all of these facilities that want to get built are going to rely on fossil fuels, we are going to absolutely see more rain in winter months moving forward. That is just what's going to happen."
What's not viable, according to Hedges, are data centers powered by small modular nuclear reactors, which is what's being considered in Broadview.
"A small modular reactor is fiction. They don't exist yet. They don't exist in the United States, and it's not expected they're going to exist for another decade," Hedges said.
Which is why Hedges says regulation is key, which is a task for the Montana Public Service Commission.
"We can have data centers, but it has to be on our terms, not theirs," Hedges said.
