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Last Update: 10/02/2026 at 10:34 AM EST
Data Centers Add Heat Downwind
Coverage from Wiss, Pulse2, and others
Arizona State University researchers measured warmer air downwind of four Phoenix-area data centers, with average differences of roughly 1 to 2 degrees Fahrenheit and peaks near 4 degrees.
The findings connect facility cooling and waste-heat release with potential effects on nearby residents, including greater cooling demand, and have prompted interest in cooling design and siting measures. Other reports raise similar questions in different locations, but the scale and conditions of those observations vary.
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All Articles9 articles
Important
Arizona State University reported Phoenix-area air-cooled data centers can raise nearby neighborhood temperatures by up to about 4 degrees Fahrenheit, based on upwind and downwind measurements.
6/12/2026 • Water & Cooling • General
Arizona State University researchers measured upwind and downwind temperatures near Mesa and Chandler data centers from June 18 to Oct. 25, 2025, finding up to 4 degrees Fahrenheit downwind warming.
5/25/2026 • Water & Cooling • General
Interesting
Recent research found that large-scale AI data centers can increase nearby temperatures by up to 16 degrees Fahrenheit, including facilities in the Phoenix area.
8/7/2026 • Water & Cooling • General
In Phoenix, Arizona, Gov. Katie Hobbs proposes ending a $38.5 million data center tax incentive amid community and worker concerns about extreme heat and local environmental impacts.
6/26/2026 • Community & Local Opposition • General
ASU researcher David Sailor reports a Phoenix East Valley temperature study found downwind neighborhoods warmer near four large data centers.
5/20/2026 • Water & Cooling • General
Residents near the Slough data center reported higher temperatures during a European heatwave as Cambridge researchers proposed a data heat island effect.
6/26/2026 • Community & Local Opposition • General
Arizona residents and officials are challenging data center expansion in Phoenix and elsewhere as Arizona Public Service seeks higher rates and lawmakers pause new tax incentives.
8/17/2026 • Policy & Utility Planning • General
Additional
Arizona State University researchers measured downwind air-temperature increases near data centers in metro Phoenix and linked the warming to waste heat and local cooling demand.
6/6/2026 • Community & Local Opposition • General
Arizona State University researchers reported Phoenix neighborhood temperature increases from data center waste heat, potentially raising household cooling demand and energy costs.
6/4/2026 • Community & Local Opposition • General