A North Dakota resident looks out their window into the night sky, only to feel frustrated that the stars can’t be seen because of a data center. Construction of the center’s third building has allegedly just begun, and its light pollution is very clear from the resident’s home 2.7 miles away. It’s not just the overbearing brightness at night, but what could come after that worries them and thousands of others on r/mildlyinfuriating.
Under the username Bow_Ty, the North Dakotan shared their view of the data center on Reddit. “I’m unable to see the stars at night anymore,” they remarked, clearly annoyed by how bright the lights from the site were. “It’s hard not to be cynical nowadays,” they continued, commenting on how the standing water surrounding the center could result in more mosquitoes with all the light, heat, and water from the buildings.
Commenters Shared Universal Concern of How This Data Center Would Cause Trouble for Locals
“First they steal your night, then the water pressure,” said a Redditor in the comments. A reply noted that the nearby data center would raise electric bills and possibly pollute the water. “AI data centers are legally allowed to break all city/town ordinances when it comes to noise, bright lights, wasting water, etc,” remarked another commenter, who blamed local politicians for it all.
Some people encouraged Bow_Ty to consider filing a complaint with the city, while others groaned at how these massive data centers would be a lose-lose situation for the locals. This has been a strong concern among citizens since the construction of these multi-billion-dollar structures was announced last year, according to Inforum.
The push against data centers has been an ongoing battle between Americans and corporations, some backed by government officials’ support. For example, Michigan Governor Whitmer was under fire for saying she wanted her state to “lead” in this emerging AI-centric technology. It’s not hard to see why, with news of rising living costs or pollution, as Bow_Ty has pointed out in their post.
Data centers aside, North Dakota residents haven’t been too pleased with their leaders as of late, with a Senator and member of Congress displaying some controversial behavior within the past months.
