Editorials

What other newspapers are saying: Leaders need to listen to data center concerns

There's been smoke outside in the air to end the work week.

But there was some real fire indoors at a Tuesday meeting where attendees verbally accosted representatives of a company proposing to build a data center in Oxford Township near EHOVE Career Center.

There's a lot to break down here:

1. We think that, first and foremost, any proposed data center -- including this potential build by AVAIO Digital -- must first do no harm. That can be direct harm to health -- hearing damage caused by data centers' noise is something people often express worry over -- or harm to people's livelihoods, like increased power and water utility costs for residents living nearby.

AVAIO asserted that it would invest in the utility infrastructure the company would need and, additionally, would limit noise created by its equipment.

2. We think that the company must prove itself to the community. Many are concerned that AVAIO will not stay true to its word in its assurances to area residents.

Indeed, the onus is on the company to earn trust, something its representatives acknowledged it needs to do and that it would take more than one public meeting to do so.

3. Going off of that, companies proposing to build large data centers in the community must conduct their business out in the open.

What we've seen from AVAIO and Decimal Digital -- a company planning a separate data center build in Monroeville -- is a willingness to meet the public and be transparent about its intentions.

That is not the right thing to do: It's the only thing to do.

After an initial round of AI data center builds progressed without buzz, like the Aligned Data Center project on Perkins Avenue, members of the public are now finely tuned to the concerns about the rapid rise of such facilities.

It will be up to Oxford Township trustees on whether or not the AVAIO project moves forward.

With this or any proposed data center facility, companies must be upfront, earn public trust and keep their promises. We will wait and see what occurs in this case.

-- Norwalk Reflector