Data Center CEO Advocates for Community Investment Amidst Tech Boom

Data center developers should proactively address and invest in the needs of the communities where they build, according to Chris Crosby, CEO of Compass Datacenters. Crosby's approach involves identifying and funding local necessities, such as fire services, schools, and recreational facilities, to ensure a symbiotic relationship between the burgeoning tech industry and its host towns.

Crosby detailed his company's strategy at its hyperscale data center campus in Red Oak, Texas, a town of approximately 20,000 residents located about 20 miles south of Dallas. He highlighted the development of a data center with minimal environmental impact, featuring no noise or light pollution and employing a water-free cooling system. "Do you need a fire truck? Do you need a new school? Do you need baseball fields for your community?" Crosby proposed in an interview with Fox News Digital. "These are important capital investments that can really boost a community, and many communities should be asking for those things."

Compass Datacenters' commitment to community integration is exemplified by its investments in Red Oak. The company donated $15 million to construct an animal shelter after the local SPCA lost its contract. Furthermore, Compass partnered with Texas State Technical College on a $12.6 million training facility to expand its Mechanical, Electrical, and IT Data Center Pathway program. This 12-week course aims to equip individuals with the necessary skills for careers in the data center industry, including roles for electricians, mechanics, technicians, carpenters, welders, and concrete workers.

Crosby expressed frustration with the notion that data centers do not create jobs, pointing to the approximately 900 individuals employed at the Red Oak campus, including 600 for Compass and 300 for Schneider Electric, in addition to thousands of construction workers who have contributed over the past five years. "I am tired of the elitism that this doesn’t create jobs," Crosby stated. "You tell that to the 900 people who work here on this campus and you tell that to the thousands of construction workers who have worked here for five years plus."

The expansion of data centers nationwide has raised concerns about their significant electricity and water consumption. Crosby emphasized Compass's long-standing practice of not using water for cooling its data centers, a decision he attributes to growing up in North Texas and understanding water's value as a resource. The Red Oak facility uses water solely for restroom facilities, utilizing a hybrid cooling system that prioritizes air or liquid cooling to reduce efficiency trade-offs. "We haven’t used water since inception, because I grew up in North Texas. I know water is a precious resource," he said.

Regarding the strain data centers can place on power grids, Crosby suggested that companies like his can contribute to necessary grid infrastructure upgrades and co-invest in improvements. He also noted that data centers can help mitigate peak demand and grid congestion by scheduling their power consumption strategically. At the Red Oak campus, Compass donated seven parcels of land to the transmission provider, facilitating the routing of power lines without resorting to eminent domain, thereby maintaining control over noise and light pollution to meet EPA limits at the property line. "It’s very important to be a quiet neighbor — no noise, no light pollution, and, of course, taking care of the precious resources that are there in that community," Crosby concluded.