Data center growth could worsen Phoenix heat, ASU study says
Sarah Henry
Arizona Republic
Data centers are heating up surrounding communities by up to 4 degrees, according to a new Arizona State University study.
Researchers measured air temperatures around homes adjacent to data centers in metro Phoenix—what they found revealed that heat generated by thousands of computer servers housed in multistory warehouses around the city is drifting downwind and affecting nearby neighborhoods.
David Sailor, the lead author of the study and ASU’s Director of the School of Geographical Sciences and Urban Planning, calls it “waste heat,” like the kind emitted by cars and buildings just by virtue of consuming energy.
Waste heat contributes to the urban heat island effect, a phenomenon Arizona knows well. The way cities are built and the materials used have a direct impact on the way they trap or attract heat.
https://www.azcentral.com/story/news/local/arizona-environment/2026/06/04/data-centers-could-raise-phoenix-temperatures-asu-study-says/90321130007/
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