Stories

Local governments should demand greater transparency around the energy consumption of data centers in the form of regular reports on electricity use.

In an interview with Irina Raicu, Internet Ethics Program Director at the Markkula Center for Applied Ethics, she emphasized this need for better transparency. “Relying on companies to voluntarily disclose their energy and water consumption has not proven to be effective…we need [reporting] requirements because you can't form effective policy without that information,” shared Raicu. To respond effectively, governments need precise and reliable information about electricity demands.

Irina Raicu, director, internet ethics, quoted by the City of San Jose GovAI Coalition Substack.