Philadelphia joins U.S. cities imposing moratoriums on AI data centers amid environmental and health concerns

Across the U.S., communities scarred by industrial pollution are pushing back against AI data center construction, with Philadelphia emerging as the latest battleground. Residents in the Grays Ferry neighborhood, where a now-defunct oil refinery shuttered after a 2019 explosion, are leading opposition to potential data center sites identified by city officials in Northeast Philadelphia and Grays Ferry.

Local activists, including Shawmar Pitts of the environmental justice group Philly Thrive, argue that data centers will exacerbate existing health burdens. Pitts described how his community’s chronic illnesses mirrored a list of pollution-related conditions provided by Philly Thrive, prompting his involvement in the campaign against data centers.

Philadelphia’s push mirrors moratoriums enacted in other cities, including Denver, Indianapolis, Asheville, Charlotte, and Reno. These moratoriums aim to give officials time to assess impacts on pollution, energy, and water resources before approving new projects.

In New York, Governor Kathy Hochul signed an executive order temporarily halting approvals for new large-scale data center permits, citing concerns over utility costs, water supply, and noise pollution. Hochul stated that such projects should only proceed where local support exists.

Opponents also raise concerns beyond environmental harm, including surveillance risks and the diversion of critical resources like electricity and water from local communities. Donna Greenberg, a Philadelphia resident, cited worries about pollution, data privacy, and resource strain at a rally organized by the No Data Centers in Philly campaign.

The debate comes as projections show U.S. data centers could consume more natural gas than Germany and Japan combined by 2035, according to BloombergNEF. While natural gas is cleaner than oil, burning it still releases significant carbon dioxide—60 grams per cubic foot—contributing to an estimated 1 million metric tons of additional greenhouse gas emissions daily.

Harvard researchers have linked fossil fuel pollution to one in five global deaths, a figure activists argue will worsen as AI infrastructure expands. Clean Air Council attorney Annie Fox warned that data centers’ reliance on diesel generators during grid stress could further degrade air quality, particularly during heatwaves.