Ellen Thomas
Investigative reporter at Business Insider who has covered the AI data center boom in the U.S., author of reporting on the environmental and economic impacts of large server farms.
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Mar 24, 2026 • 26min
The true cost of AI data centres
Ellen Thomas, an investigative reporter at Business Insider who has tracked the AI data centre boom, discusses the scale and lifespan of massive server farms. She covers water and power strain, why AI cooling uses so much water, local pushback and cancelled projects, and hidden environmental costs like wetlands loss and backup fuel emissions.
