Google says it will rethink its plans for a big data center in Chile over water worries

SANTIAGO, Chile (AP) — Google says it will halt plans to develop a major $200 million data center in Chile to address environmental grievances. The decision announced on Tuesday reflected growing concerns about the impact of the power-thirsty projects around the world. The U.S. technology company first obtained permits in 2020 to construct the vast project in Chilean capital Santiago. Demand for the server farms skyrocketed across the globe. It was fueled by a surge in cloud-based technologies and a craze for generative artificial intelligence. Google said it would make changes to the project to comply with more stringent environmental requirements. The company said it would find ways to change the data center’s water-intensive cooling system.