Marketplace All-in-One When an AI data center moves in next door
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Nov 6, 2025 Sam Brash, a local reporter for Colorado Public Radio, sheds light on the community's response to a new AI data center in Denver's Elyria-Swansea neighborhood, already plagued by industrial air pollution. Residents express deep concerns about worsening air quality and health impacts. Brash discusses the fallout from this controversial development and highlights the community's demands for air monitoring and greater transparency. The conversation also touches on the broader implications of siting decisions for data centers and their environmental responsibilities.
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Resident's Lived Pollution Experience
- Julie Moat moved to Elyria-Swansea and learned bad air was a fact of life near highways and heavy industry.
- She says she "can't leave my windows open" because the air "stinks" and smells like gas from nearby facilities.
Data Centers Create 'Digital Smog'
- Data centers produce indirect air pollution via power-plant emissions and diesel backup generators.
- Xiaolei Ren warns that "digital smog" from AI could raise asthma and cancer cases and cost up to $20 billion annually by 2028.
Site Data Centers To Cut Health Harm
- Choose data center locations strategically to reduce health impacts on nearby communities.
- Xiaolei Ren says siting decisions can "significantly reduce the health impact."