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Alex Kellgreen creates interactive map to help residents understand the environmental impact of Utah's growing data centers.

Alex Kellgreen, a creative content producer for the Wilkes Center, has developed an interactive web page titled "The Elephant in the Desert" to demystify the operations of data centers in Utah. The tool allows users to explore a map of every operational data center in the state, providing data on power consumption, water usage, and emissions. Kellgreen noted that while data centers are essential to the internet economy, they have significant environmental impacts due to high heat production and intensive water use. His research highlights that artificial intelligence computing requires significantly more power than traditional computing because of the different chips used. The interactive site also compares Utah's current legislation to global policy recommendations for responsible regulation. Kellgreen reported that Utah is currently not fully pursuing several key initiatives, such as energy efficiency standards and water use reporting. He stated that the state's current piecemeal approach may struggle to keep up with the rapid development of new facilities.

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