It’s a basic equation: Natural gas + data center = an incomplete picture of cost to northeastern PA.

Making the northeast a hub for AI data centers, proposed by our congressman Rob Bresnahan, has a big unspoken cost. A third critical element is needed to make the investment a reality: WATER.

Both natural gas fracking and large AI data centers require millions of gallons of water daily!

In the Northeast, the sources of this water are our fragile aquifer and rivers.

The fracking process requires millions of gallons of water mixed with unidentified chemicals to blow out natural gas trapped in the rock formations. This process leaves the contaminated water to be transported and dumped—somewhere?  

An additional unwanted byproduct, methane gas, is often left to escape into the atmosphere.

The data centers to run AI require incredible amounts of cooling water to keep fragile equipment from damage due to overheating. Millions of gallons of water are needed daily for cooling. Cooling the equipment leaves the problem of where to release the heated cooling water.

Each piece of this proposal needs to be evaluated in terms of the long-term impact to the Northeast with a look at risks to benefits over the full life cycle, including water, waste disposal, available power needs for the rest of the population, roads, quality of life, etc. 

Once an area’s water supply has been damaged, the cost, if even feasible, of fixing it may outweigh the benefits of the investment.  

Isabel Hodges-Smith
Shohola, PA