Noise Pollution from Data Centers Harms Nearby Communities

Miguel Yañez-Barnuevo reports on noise pollution from data centers and local policy responses, citing community complaints, health impacts, and mitigation options.

• Main announcement/action: The article documents local regulatory and community pushback (e.g., Chandler, AZ adopted a zoning code amendment in 2022 and the Chandler city council unanimously voted against a proposed AI data center in 2025) in response to persistent data center noise; it also reports that 46 planned/permitted/under-construction U.S. data centers will use off-grid gas turbines that run continuously, and cites specific facility details such as an xAI site with 27 natural gas turbines and a Granbury, Texas bitcoin mine with ~60,000 computers located under 100 yards from residences.
• Background and factual details: The piece notes the EPA retains legal authority over noise (historically ran the Office of Noise Abatement and Control until defunding in 1981), documents technical facts such as cooling = ~40% of data center electricity use, generators are tested at least once a month, the EPA allows up to 50 hours/year operation of emergency generators in non-emergency testing, and cites measured noise ranges including ~96 dB in large computing warehouses and industrial diesel generators reaching up to 105 dB.