Q&A: What Are the Biggest EHS Challenges Facing Data Centers Today?

As demand for AI, cloud computing, and digital infrastructure accelerates, data centers are becoming critical assets for economies worldwide. But behind that growth lies a complex set of environmental, health, and safety challenges that organizations must proactively manage. This Q&A explores the emerging risks, opportunities, and best practices shaping one of the fastest-growing sectors globally.

Key Takeaways:

1. Global demand for cloud services, digital infrastructure, and AI is driving unprecedented growth in the data center sector.
2. Data centers introduce unique EHS risks, including complex electrical systems, large-scale construction activities, cooling infrastructure, backup power systems, and evolving operational demands.
3. The industry's rapid pace creates challenges around safety maturity, management systems, contractor oversight, and supply chain quality.
4. Brownfield redevelopment is becoming increasingly attractive for data center development, but can introduce legacy environmental liabilities and remediation challenges.
5. Strong management systems, local expertise, and global collaboration will be essential to building a more resilient and sustainable data center industry. 
   
   

Listen to the full episode:
Powering the Future: EHS Challenges in Data Centers

Introduction

Data centers have become the physical backbone of our digital economy. Every cloud-based application, AI model, online transaction, streamed video, and connected device relies on data being stored, processed, and transmitted through increasingly sophisticated facilities around the world. As demand continues to surge, organizations are racing to build more capacity and expand infrastructure at unprecedented speed. 
In Episode 4 of Season 3 of Rethinking EHS, host Charlotte Buffoni of Antea Group UK is joined by Julie Kreger King of Antea Group USA and Alessandro Intile of HPC Italy to discuss the environmental, health, and safety realities behind the data center boom. Together, they explore the industry's rapid evolution, emerging risks, environmental considerations, and the growing importance of global collaboration and local expertise.

What is driving the rapid growth of data centers?

Charlotte Buffoni: Data centers are expanding rapidly across the globe. What's driving this growth?

Julie Kreger King: The shift toward cloud computing began well before the pandemic, but COVID-19 significantly accelerated adoption. The emergence of advanced artificial intelligence technologies has added another major growth driver, creating demand that many providers are struggling to meet.

Alessandro Intile: Everything we do today has a digital footprint. Whether we're streaming content, using AI, or simply navigating daily life online, that data requires physical infrastructure. The cloud may seem virtual, but it depends on buildings, electrical systems, cooling infrastructure, and significant physical resources.

Why are certain regions becoming major data center hubs?

Charlotte Buffoni: We're hearing more about emerging hubs such as Milan. Why are these locations attracting investment?

Alessandro Intile: Traditionally, Europe's largest data center markets were concentrated in cities such as Frankfurt, London, Amsterdam, and Paris. As those locations become constrained by power availability and space limitations, new hubs including Milan, Madrid, and Lisbon are becoming increasingly attractive. Many of these cities already have strong electrical infrastructure and former industrial sites that can support redevelopment.

In Italy, recent legislation has also recognized data centers as strategic infrastructure, helping streamline permitting processes and improving regulatory certainty for developers.

Julie Kreger King: Similar trends are occurring in the United States, where data center development is concentrated around regions with available power, water resources, and suitable land. Regulatory requirements often differ significantly between states, creating unique local considerations for every project.

Why is the data center sector becoming such an important EHS focus area?

Charlotte Buffoni: Why are environmental, health, and safety professionals paying such close attention to this sector?

Julie Kreger King: Many technology companies historically operated in lower-risk environments. Data centers introduce entirely new operational realities, including high-voltage electrical infrastructure, complex mechanical systems, large-scale construction projects, and significant operational risks. Organizations have recognized that despite limited industry-specific regulations, proactive risk management is essential.

The sector also operates under intense public scrutiny. Organizations recognize the reputational, operational, and business risks associated with incidents, leading many operators to strengthen their EHS programs and mitigation efforts.

How mature are health and safety programs in the data center industry today?

Charlotte Buffoni: Data centers are evolving rapidly. How mature does safety feel across the industry?

Julie Kreger King: The answer varies significantly. Large hyperscale operators often have sophisticated programs and a clear understanding of their risks. However, the industry's rapid expansion means many new entrants are still developing their systems and approaches.

One major challenge is the multi-employer environment. Data centers rely on extensive networks of contractors, subcontractors, and suppliers. While some organizations may have highly mature safety programs, consistency can be difficult when different parties operate at different levels of maturity.

What is the biggest challenge for organizations trying to scale safely?

Charlotte Buffoni: Are companies approaching safety differently than more established industries?

Julie Kreger King: Fundamentally, safety still comes back to strong management systems and clear processes. The challenge is balancing the need for speed against the need for structure. Organizations want to move quickly, but they also need procedures, controls, and governance systems that provide consistency and accountability.

As technologies continue to evolve, organizations must continuously revisit and improve their processes. Cooling technologies, electrical infrastructure, and onsite power generation systems are changing rapidly, creating new operational risks that must be understood and managed.

How is rapid innovation changing the risk landscape?

Charlotte Buffoni: What new risks are emerging as the industry evolves?

Julie Kreger King: One major challenge is that technology is changing faster than many organizations can adapt. New generations of cooling systems, power infrastructure, and data hall technologies often require organizations to revisit existing procedures and reassess their risks. Continuous improvement becomes critical.

There is also increasing interest in onsite power generation to address growing energy demands. For many operators, this introduces unfamiliar operational risks that require new expertise and risk management approaches.

Why are brownfield sites becoming more attractive for data center development?

Charlotte Buffoni: What development trends are you seeing in Europe?

Alessandro Intile: One of the most significant trends is the growing use of brownfield sites. Historically, developers preferred greenfield locations because they carried fewer environmental uncertainties. Today, the lack of available land and the advantages offered by existing infrastructure are encouraging organizations to repurpose former industrial properties.

However, redevelopment comes with challenges. Former industrial sites may contain contaminated soil, groundwater impacts, legacy buildings, asbestos, lead-based paint, or other hazardous materials. Identifying and managing these issues early is critical to avoiding unexpected costs, delays, and remediation requirements.

What environmental risks are frequently overlooked during development?

Charlotte Buffoni: Are there any risks organizations sometimes underestimate?

Alessandro Intile: Noise is often overlooked. Data centers operate continuously and rely on large numbers of fans, chillers, and cooling systems. If facilities are located close to residential communities, noise concerns can become a significant issue and even create legal challenges before operations begin.

Organizations also need to consider permitting requirements associated with backup power systems and fuel storage, as well as environmental risks associated with neighboring industrial activities and local site conditions. These factors can have important implications for both workers and facility operations.

Beyond technical and regulatory factors, public sensitivity around data center developments has increased in recent times. Growing community awareness regarding energy consumption, water use, and localized environmental impacts has fueled opposition, frequently resulting in public protests and class-action lawsuits that can delay or halt projects entirely.

To address these challenges, specialized social consulting services are increasingly being implemented to assess and mitigate the societal impacts of data center developments. These strategies foster early community engagement, support transparent communication, and help ensure socially responsible project delivery.

How can organizations create consistency across multiple regions?

Charlotte Buffoni: As operators expand globally, how do organizations maintain consistency while adapting to local realities?

Julie Kreger King: Data center EHS management typically spans three phases: site development, construction, and operations. Organizations need systems that support consistency across the entire lifecycle while remaining flexible enough to adapt to changing technologies, local regulations, and operational realities.

Rather than relying solely on policies, successful organizations develop management systems that clearly define expectations, accountability, and processes across all locations.

Alessandro Intile: Local expertise is equally important. Understanding local permitting processes, regulators, cultural expectations, and site-specific conditions can significantly improve project outcomes and help organizations navigate increasingly complex approval processes.

What opportunities does the sector offer for EHS professionals?

Charlotte Buffoni: What advice would you give to EHS professionals considering a career in data centers?

Julie Kreger King: The opportunities are enormous. Many experienced professionals from industries such as manufacturing, chemicals, and energy are moving into data centers because they see the chance to make a meaningful impact in an industry that is still maturing.

The pace is demanding, but it offers a unique opportunity to apply experience, influence industry practices, and help shape the future of safety, operational excellence, and environmental stewardship.

Alessandro Intile: Future professionals must also think beyond technical infrastructure. Data centers need to be responsible neighbors, balancing water use, energy consumption, environmental protection, and community expectations while supporting continued technological growth.

What should be the industry's biggest EHS priority over the next few years?

Charlotte Buffoni: Looking ahead, what priorities should the industry focus on?

Julie Kreger King: Construction remains one of the most significant risk areas. As projects become larger and more complex, operators, contractors, and suppliers will need stronger safety capabilities, clearer expectations, and greater collaboration to ensure safe outcomes.

The broader opportunity lies in continuing to mature the industry through shared best practices, stronger management systems, and collective efforts to improve EHS performance across the entire value chain.

Alessandro Intile: Organizations also need to focus on preventing incidents, ensuring operational resilience, and designing facilities that can safely withstand environmental and operational risks. The consequences of major disruptions can extend well beyond a single site, creating significant economic and societal impacts.

How can global collaboration accelerate a more resilient future?

Charlotte Buffoni: How can organizations work together to support a safer and more sustainable industry?

Alessandro Intile: Data centers remain a relatively new sector, creating a need for shared standards, collective learning, and practical guidance that can be applied globally. Global networks help organizations transfer knowledge across regions while adapting solutions to local requirements.

Julie Kreger King: Industry-wide collaboration will be essential for improving consistency, accelerating maturity, and sharing lessons learned. Forums that bring organizations together can help establish common expectations and advance EHS performance across the sector.

What should organizations do today?

As data centers continue to expand globally, organizations should focus on a few critical questions:

• • Are our EHS management systems keeping pace with rapid growth and innovation?
  • Have we fully evaluated site-specific environmental risks before development begins?
  • Are contractors, suppliers, and partners operating to the same safety expectations?
  • Are we proactively managing emerging risks associated with power generation, cooling systems, and infrastructure changes?
  • Do we have access to both global best practices and local expertise

How Inogen Alliance Can Help

Through its global network of local EHS and sustainability experts, Inogen Alliance helps organizations navigate the full lifecycle of data center development and operations, from site selection and due diligence through construction, operational safety, environmental compliance, and ongoing risk management.

By combining global collaboration with local expertise, Inogen Alliance supports organizations in building resilient, sustainable, and responsible digital infrastructure that can adapt to the demands of an increasingly connected world.

Inogen Alliance is a global network made up of dozens of independent local businesses and over 5,000 consultants around the world who can help make your project a success. Our Associates collaborate closely to serve multinational corporations, government agencies, and nonprofit organizations, and we share knowledge and industry experience to provide the highest quality service to our clients. If you want to learn more about how you can work with Inogen Alliance, you can explore our Associates or Contact Us. Watch for more News & Blog updates here and follow us on LinkedIn.