Editor’s Note: This article was written for Mosaic, an independent journalism training program for high school students who report and photograph stories under the guidance of professional journalists.
As data centers rapidly grow in Silicon Valley to support the rising demand for artificial intelligence, more youth are voicing their opposition to their environmental byproducts.
These facilities house rows of computing systems that are used to train and run AI, a
process that requires a massive amount of electricity and cooling power.
“My concern is that not all of the energy that they’re using for data centers is renewable, which will undercut the city’s own climate commitments,” said Calvin Sridhara, a high school student who co-leads the San Jose branch of Silicon Valley Youth Climate Action (SVYCA). “San Jose has a goal to be carbon-neutral by 2030, and building these data centers isn’t going to help us reach that goal.”
Today, there are 135 data centers in the Bay Area. In 2024, San Jose’s 21 data centers consumed just over 80 million kilowatt-hours.
“To give you an idea, training a single AI model could power 100 U.S. homes in one year. And then, it can take training hundreds of models to ensure that one AI is working correctly,” said Dr. Ahmed Banafa, an adjunct professor of engineering at San Jose State University who is writing his fourth book on AI.
Mani Bekele, a high school student from downtown San Jose and a co-leader of SVYCA, serves as a youth member on the city of San Jose’s Climate Advisory Board. He fears that if action is not taken to reduce the environmental impacts, valuable progress in efforts to promote renewable energy will be lost. He also says that he wants “local government officials to implement regulations and make sure that data centers do not harm surrounding communities.”
SVYCA, along with other environmental organizations, is hosting the Climate Smart Youth Video Competition, which invites participants to create videos about climate issues, including data centers, and policies for solutions. Videos will be screened at the City Council chambers in January. The goal is to allow more youth to share their perspectives with elected officials.
Bekele encourages other youth to speak out. “Talk to your city council member, the mayor or city staff, especially those who work in energy. Even if you can’t vote yet, make your opinion known to public officials, as they are responsible for listening to constituents.” He adds, “As young people, we’re going to be living with impacts decades from now.”
Carlos Velazquez, a public information manager for San Jose, listed the steps that the city has taken to reduce environmental impacts. Data centers have the option to become customers of San Jose Clean Energy, which procures renewable power, and to use recycled water to cool facilities through the South Bay Water Recycling Program.
“These measures allow the city to balance the needs of critical digital infrastructure with environmental stewardship,” Velazquez said.
While these steps signal progress, Sridhara notes that they do not fully address challenges posed by data centers. For one, many facilities rely on diesel generators for backup power, which release fine particle pollution and worsen air quality.
When he spoke to the Santa Clara County Board of Supervisors, he recalls, “They mentioned that at this point, they are just accepting that AI is going to continue developing, and these data centers are going to get built either way. I feel like this is a very pessimistic view.”
Even as high school students express concerns about data centers, some are using the benefits of AI to address environmental issues.
Pooja Verma, a senior at Irvington High School in Fremont, leads an initiative that uses birdboxes with software to collect data on bird populations to learn about how they are affected by climate change. For her team, AI is an important part of diagnosing issues and improving their software.
Although she recognizes environmental issues about AI use, Verma said, “Our success is definitely tied to AI. It could potentially give us more solutions to fight climate change.”
Sridhara adds, “We don’t want to block the innovation of AI, which can help with advancing healthcare, education and research. We just want it to be fair, healthy and equitable for communities everywhere.”
Sophie Luo is a member of the class of 2027 at Irvington High School in Fremont.