When “data centers” and “climate change” are in the same sentence, it’s usually about how the former are fueling the latter with their thirst for energy. But the latter can also make life expensively miserable for the former. Maybe it’s not a great idea to pollute a planet if you have to share its atmosphere.
About 6% of nearly 3,000 data centers planned around the world are in places that will immediately put them at high risk of damage because of extreme weather, according to a new study by the risk-analytics firm XDI Pty Ltd. “High risk,” in this case, means these data centers could essentially be uninsurable without hardening themselves against fires, floods or whatever else their local environment will throw at them.
