Dear Editor:
Lately, the subject of data centers has become a hot topic of discussion on TV news programs, all forms of internet media, and in municipal governing body meetings all over the country, including here in Parsippany. This issue has gotten so much attention and is so pervasive that it has now become a major issue for the November midterm elections. Media portrayal of data centers has been overwhelmingly negative, so it comes as no surprise that much of the public has adopted a negative opinion about them. I believe that it will be severely detrimental to the country if public opinion is able to significantly slow down the growth of data centers. Like it or not, the US is involved in a technological cold war with China, and AI and data centers are the current battlefront.
In an opinion column in Forbes magazine, retired US Air Force lieutenant general David Deptula, the dean of the Mitchell Institute of Aerospace Studies, stated that AI data centers are not just about cloud computing — they are the backbone of military and intelligence superiority, and their development must be a top national priority. General Deptula is just one of many generals who hold that same opinion. On the other hand, there is not a single US military general on record who is in opposition to data centers.
Because data centers are so important to our national security, it seems that the growth of these facilities is essential to the country. But are they good for Parsippany? That depends on what type of data center we are talking about. The media never makes clear — probably on purpose — that there are actually two types of data centers. There are the humongous facilities that support AI, which consume huge amounts of water and electricity. But there are also much smaller non-AI traditional data centers which support servers, storage, networking, and internet service. To date, no AI data centers exist in Morris County, but six traditional data centers already operate here. Moreover, a company called Cologix currently operates one of these traditional data centers at 200 Webro Road in Parsippany.
Concern about water usage is really a non-issue at all the Morris County data centers because all of them are air-cooled. The Cologix data center uses only about 5% of the water used by a 400-unit apartment complex such as 1515 Route 10. And, unlike the apartments, the data center generates minimal traffic and sends no children to our school system.
As I mentioned before, there are no AI data centers in Parsippany and there likely will never be one. AI facilities generate noise requiring very large buffers between them and residential areas. A lot of approximately 100 acres would be necessary to meet the noise buffer requirements, and no buildable lots of that size exist in Parsippany.
The services provided by traditional and AI data centers are essential to providing computer power to businesses, the public, and the military. There seems to be no valid reason for opposing traditional data centers in Parsippany, or anywhere else in the country for that matter. The construction of AI data centers is also a non-issue here in Parsippany because there are no suitable lots where they can be located. Hopefully, people will fact-check the media and me before deciding whether to oppose data centers or not.
Bob Venezia
Parsippany
