Google Faces Environmental Protests Over New Data Centers

The technology company Google is encountering significant resistance to its data center expansions in both Europe and North America. In Austria, approximately 400 people protested in Linz against the construction of the company's first Austrian data center in Kronstorf. Opponents, including aquatic ecologist Christina Gruber, cite concerns over the facility's high electricity and water consumption, noting that the first phase could use as much power as 375,000 households.

While Upper Austria Governor Thomas Stelzer supports the project as a signal for regional innovation, the 50-hectare complex remains a point of contention regarding its impact on the River Enns. The facility began construction in April and is expected to be operational by 2027.

Simultaneously, Google is attempting to secure approval for a 1.66 million-square-foot data center in Hermantown, Minnesota. To address concerns from the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources, the company proposed reducing wetland impacts by 37% and installing groundwater monitoring wells. Google also pledged $2.5 million in local grants and established a labor agreement with the Duluth Building Trades Council. Despite these concessions, the group Stop the Hermantown Data Center continues to argue that the facility threatens local resources.