SETTING THE RECORD STRAIGHT
The Facts About RAEDEN Data Centers and Community Impact
With all of the misinformation combined with real reports of malpractice circulating today, community stakeholders and officials must understand how data centers can operate and how they can be designed in ways that support a community. When implemented and operated properly, data centers can be a win for communities, a win for the economy, and a win for Americans in the global race to lead in AI technology.
RAEDEN data centers have little to no impact on water, energy rates, and ambient noise.
0 Gallons/Day for computers
Water only for staff use (restrooms, kitchen)
$0 Rate Increase
RAEDEN moderates/reduces power costs
<45 dBA
Quiet operations equivalent to a library
Frequently asked questions
We have gathered the most common questions and concerns raised by community members and elected officials, and we’ve compiled our responses below.
Water usage
Do RAEDEN's data centers use a lot of water?
RAEDEN’s facilities use very little water. While older data centers were typically designed with cooling towers that used evaporation to cool computer equipment, cooling technology has progressed, and data center developers can now choose to install closed-loop cooling systems to cool computer equipment. Closed loop cooling systems only need to be filled once, and then the water is continuously recycled. These require zero daily water consumption and very rarely ever leak.
What is a closed-loop cooling system?
A closed loop cooling systems consists of a network of pipes, tubes, connectors, chillers, and heat exchangers that are connected in a loop and filled with water and glycol that is continuously recycled to cool equipment. A closed-loop cooling system for a 100MW data center uses about 200,000 gallons of water one day 1 and then zero gallons of water are needed for daily cooling operations.
How efficient is closed-loop cooling?
Closed-loop cooling systems are not exposed to air and so they do not lose any water through evaporation. Closed-loop cooling is extremely efficient, using ZERO gallons of water per day to cool IT equipment. Experts measure data center water efficiency using a metric called Water Usage Effectiveness or WUE. Closed-loop cooling systems have a WUE of ZERO.
Do closed-loop cooling systems leak?
Closed-loop cooling systems rarely ever leak. RAEDEN uses double-walled pipes and an intensive leak detection system. Sensors are affixed to all pipes, valves, joints, and cooling equipment. These sensors are integrated with Building Management Software which notifies on-site and remote staff of any potential for a leak. Onsite staff are trained and certified to address and remediate any potential leaks immediately.
How does data center water use compare to industrial and residential uses cases?
A data center with a closed-loop cooling system uses FAR less water than most other facilities. A data center with 60-100 employees will use between 200-400 gallons of water per day for regular kitchen and bathroom use. The cooling system uses 0 gallons per day. The average person uses about 2.5/gallons of water during the day.
- A household in the U.S. consumes an average of 300-400 gallons of water per day.
- A residential swimming pool loses ½ gallon to 1 gallon of water per day to evaporation. This results in a loss of 90-240 gallons per week per swimming pool.
- A golf course uses 312,000 gallons of water per day on average. In desert climates, they can use upwards of a MILLION gallons per day.
- A fast food joint uses an average of 2,900 gallons per day.
- A corn field uses 550,000-800,000 gallons of water PER ACRE during growing season.
- Raising an average 2,000 pound bull takes about 3.6 MILLION gallons of water (1,800 gallons per pound of beef).
- An automotive plant uses 20-30 MILLION gallons of water PER DAY (39,000 gallons per average size car).
- A data center with open-loop cooling uses about 1.5 MILLION gallons per day.
- A data center with closed-loop cooling: ZERO GALLONS per day.
Will data centers strain water supplies during drought conditions?
Data centers with closed loop cooling will not strain water resources during a drought or ever due to the use of continuously recycled water.
How can I trust what RAEDEN says about data center water use?
Just like RAEDEN has done with the City of Gibraltar, MI and Colorado Springs, CO, RAEDEN will gladly share our design plans, third-party engineering studies, audit reports, monitoring data, and water bills with cities and municipalities for public review upon request.
Power
Do data centers drive up electricity rates for residents?
In most cases no, and in the case of RAEDEN data centers, never. Most cities and states have laws in place that specify that data center developers must pay for their power and any infrastructure upgrades that might be completed to get the power they need. Infrastructure upgrades often benefit residents at no cost to them.
In addition to covering upgrades, data centers make utilities more efficient and cost-effective. Residential electricity use is inconsistent and unpredictable, but utilities must try to predict usage. They purchase 15-20% more power than they think will be needed to serve residents so that power is available at any hour that any single person wants to use it. This results in a lot of waste. Data centers use power consistently around the clock, 365 days a year, and so use is high and very predictable. With a large-load customer like a 50MW+ data center, utilities can purchase exactly the right amount of power and cover the cost for every kilowatt-hour they sell.
As an additional benefit, utilities can work with large-load data centers to supply power back to the grid during power shortages.
How much renewable energy does the facility use?
Not many data centers in the world are 100% powered by renewable energy because they would need thousands of acres of land for wind turbines or solar panels in addition to massive battery energy storage systems. Most data centers have to be located near populated areas to serve customers, and it is still not feasible in most cases.
However, RAEDEN utilizes renewable energy when it is available from the utility providers we work with.
What is stranded power?
RAEDEN utilizes stranded power at most of our facilities. This means that a utility company previously allocated power to a commercial or industrial facility that is no longer being used. The infrastructure to acquire and utilize this power already exists, and utilities are losing money they could be making from already-existing infrastructure.
Noise
Are RAEDEN’s data centers noisy?
Data centers are quieter than most any industrial activity and are quieter than many residential activities, such as mowing and vacuuming. (See question 4 below.) Many people who work in data centers say the server rooms are loud inside, but they are quiet in other rooms and outside most of the time. RAEDEN designs data centers to be quieter than most data centers, producing sound levels equivalent to those of a library.
What equipment causes noise in data centers?
Noises that can be heard outside of data centers come from back-up generators and cooling equipment (chillers). Back-up generators only run in the event of a power outage and during routine testing lasting no more than 30 minutes once monthly. Noise levels from this equipment can vary greatly depending on a data center’s design and operator’s commitment to keeping noise levels low.
How does RAEDEN attenuate noise levels?
RAEDEN keeps noise levels in its chiller yards to a minimum by purchasing and installing sound attenuating add-ons from chiller manufacturers. RAEDEN also encloses chillers and generators with sound-attenuating walls that are padded with sound-attenuating materials. A third-party independent engineering study indicated that RAEDEN’s designs keep sound levels at property lines between 40-45 dBA (about the sound level of a quiet office) with 100% utilization of all chillers and generators, which is a scenario that NEVER occurs. This study indicates that residents would never experience sound levels above city ordinances outside of their homes.
In addition to the above, RAEDEN coordinates generator testing times with municipalities to ensure that it occurs at the preferred time of day for residents, even though testing only occurs for 20-30 minutes once per month.
RAEDEN also installs noise measurement equipment at the property line of our data centers and will also install noise measurement equipment at the fenceline of the nearest residential properties upon request.
How do data center sound levels compare to other sounds in the environment?
Data centers are relatively quiet compared to typical city and industrial activities. Data centers with enclosed equipment, like RAEDEN’s, are even quieter.
- Jackhammer: 110-130 dBA
- Bulldozer: 95-105 dBA
- Steel sheet mill: 85-100 dBA
- Lawnmower: 75-100 dBA
- City bus: 70-90 dBA
- Vacuum cleaner: 65-85 dBA
- Air conditioner window unit: 60-73 dBA
- Enclosed diesel generator: 50-65 dBA (on site)
- Whispering: 30 dBA
Source: https://multimedia.3m.com/mws/media/888553O/noise-navigator-sound-level-hearing-protection-database.pdf
Can data center noises have ill health effects?
For those who don’t live within a data center’s property lines, the short answer is no. RAEDEN’s data centers do not exceed 45 dBA at the property line at 100% utilization, which will never happen, meaning noise levels will always be below 45 dBA. At the highest level, it is never unsafe at the property line, and several hundred feet away, residents will never experience unsafe levels outside their homes or in their homes at night. The World Health Organization recommends noise levels of 30-35 dBA in bedrooms at night.
How can I trust what RAEDEN says about noise levels?
Just like RAEDEN has done with the City of Gibraltar, MI and Colorado Springs, CO RAEDEN will gladly share our design plans, engineering studies, audit reports, and monitoring data with cities and municipalities for public review upon request.
Jobs, economy, & taxes
How many permanent local jobs does a data center create?
RAEDEN hires between 60-100 permanent employees per data center to manage data center operations that include engineering, security, and administrative jobs. Additionally, RAEDEN contracts with local companies for maintenance support. RAEDEN hires from local trade unions and contracts with local firms to support its facilities.
How many construction jobs does a data center create?
RAEDEN’s data center construction and redesign projects require several hundred to a thousand construction and engineering jobs, including skilled labor. RAEDEN works with local unions and trade groups to contract and hire workers.
Are data centers receiving special tax breaks that reduce public revenue?
No, to the contrary, data centers significantly increase local tax revenue, and in most cases this results in improvements to schools, infrastructure, and public services, and in some cases data center tax revenue has resulted in property tax reductions for residents.
Do data centers decrease home values?
Contrary to popular belief, data centers correlate with higher property values. A recent study by George Mason University found that in Northern Virginia, also know as Data Center Alley, found that homes closer to data centers sold at higher prices than those further from data centers. Reasons for this, include massive boosts to tax revenue that cover state-of-the-art schools and public amenities and infrastructure upgrades.
Source: https://schar.gmu.edu/news/2025-11/study-home-prices-are-higher-when-house-near-data-center
Other
Do data centers increase neighborhood traffic?
Unlike commercial shopping centers, the increase in traffic resulting from a data center is negligible. Because a data center has around 60-100 permanent employees, it is not unlike that of a small (5,000 to 20,000 sq ft) office building.
Do data centers pollute the environment?
RAEDEN’s data centers produce no wastewater, other than that from routine human activity (bathrooms and kitchens). This means there are no contaminants release into the soil or wastewater systems. The only component of a data center that can cause pollutants, emissions in this case, are back-up generators. RAEDEN’s generators are fitted with Selective Catalytic Reduction (SCR) systems that bring nitrogen oxide emissions down to near-zero levels. Additionally, generators only run for 20-30 minutes per month for routine testing and in the event of a power outage.
EVIDENCE
Download charts and presentations
The documents below include data on data center water usage, power infrastructure, noise levels, economic development and RAEDEN’s approach to all of the above.
RAEDEN’s role in the sustainability challenge
RAEDEN intentionally focuses on acquiring existing real estate assets for adaptive reuse as modern data centers. By taking an adaptive reuse approach, we choose a drastically more sustainable solution than building new structures. Adaptive reuse also eliminates vacant and underutilized properties from communities, which can increase crime rates and encourage disinvestment.
Demolition debris contributes significantly to waste, landfills, and air pollution. 600 million tons of construction debris were generated in the United States in 2018, which is more than twice the amount of generated municipal solid waste. This debris includes steel, drywall, asphalt, and hazardous materials. Additionally, the heavy machinery required for demolition emits significant CO2.
We also design our facilities with closed-loop cooling systems which continuously recycle water for cooling computer equipment, which results in 0 gallons of water consumption daily for cooling.
Still have questions?
Our public affairs team is available to speak with community members, elected officials, and the press.