Guidance for evaluating water, energy, sound, land, infrastructure, and local impacts before commitments are made.
A responsible data center is defined by local fit, transparent tradeoffs, and commitments that can be measured.
Every community begins with different infrastructure, land-use priorities, water conditions, utility constraints, and nearby receptors. These resources organize the questions that should be answered before approval—and the evidence that makes an answer credible.
Review our standardsUnderstand direct and indirect water use, cooling tradeoffs, watershed context, WUE, peak demand, and reporting.
Measure water useUnderstand cooling, transformer, and generator sound; dBA and dBC; baseline studies; modeling; mitigation; and verification.
Evaluate noiseUse a practical review checklist covering the site, water, power, sound, air, traffic, finance, emergency response, reporting, and closure.
Use the checklist| Ask the developer | Request this evidence | A credible response contains |
|---|---|---|
| Ask the developerWhat changes locally? | Request this evidenceExisting-condition baselines and project scenarios. | A credible response containsSeparates current conditions from construction, normal operation, peak operation, testing, and emergencies. |
| Ask the developerWho carries the cost? | Request this evidenceUtility, infrastructure, fiscal, and service-impact analyses. | A credible response containsIdentifies responsibility for upgrades, operations, maintenance, and long-term obligations. |
| Ask the developerHow will performance be checked? | Request this evidenceDesign criteria, commissioning plan, monitoring method, and reporting schedule. | A credible response containsDefines what is measured, where, when, by whom, and what happens if results miss the commitment. |
| Ask the developerWhat remains uncertain? | Request this evidenceAssumptions, ranges, model inputs, and data limitations. | A credible response containsStates uncertainty plainly and updates the analysis as design and operating information improves. |
We translate environmental and community responsibility into decisions that can be evaluated. A project standard should identify the decision, the local context, the metric or evidence, and the method for verification. Accountability over slogans.
A responsible project evaluates local effects before design choices are fixed, reports assumptions and tradeoffs, assigns responsibility for infrastructure and mitigation, and verifies performance after construction. The answer depends on the site; one metric or technology cannot describe the whole project.
No. Water and energy choices are connected. A lower-water design can use more electricity, while evaporative cooling can reduce cooling energy but consume more water. The credible question is whether the project minimizes total impact for its site and operating plan.
Start with the full buildout: acreage, building area, expected load, cooling method, average and peak water demand, wastewater, backup generation, sound sources, construction schedule, utility upgrades, emergency response, fiscal assumptions, and the party responsible for each commitment.
No. They are decision aids, not legal advice or a substitute for local technical, utility, planning, environmental, fiscal, or legal review. Authority and appropriate requirements vary by jurisdiction.
Last updated July 2026. Review technical and policy information for the specific site, jurisdiction, utility territory, and operating plan.