Create a 10-word scroll-stopping headline for: Duke University Plans to Build a Small Data Center | Vibe NC

This story originally published at Inside Climate News.

Duke University plans to build a small data center at Central Campus, potentially the first of several similar-sized projects, which has raised questions among some faculty about whether the energy- and water-intensive endeavors could derail the institution’s climate commitments.

The 1.5-megawatt data center could eventually expand to 3 megawatts, a university spokesperson said. It will be built on 12 acres on Duke-owned property along Yearby Avenue, near the university electric substation and water chiller plant, according to the city-county building permit dated April 8. 

Contractors began preparing the site this week; construction is expected to be complete next year.

Many U.S. universities and colleges have built, or are building, their own data centers to manage student information, confidential medical records, and academic research. Duke could also use data centers to attract faculty, according to minutes from the April meeting of the Academic Council, the main body for faculty governance.

The Duke facility will provide computing power to support the university’s researchers “as they address society’s most pressing challenges,” a university spokesperson said. “Consistent with Duke’s climate commitment, the facility is designed with a focus on environmental responsibility and sustainability. With this project, Duke aims to set an example for how to build energy-efficient, carbon emission-aware infrastructure that meets the computing needs of the modern research university.” 

The $23 million data center would not be a hyperscale facility, like the behemoth projects built by Amazon, Meta, and Google. Yet the university could construct other small facilities on and off-campus, including at schools and hospitals. 

“We can put nodes all over the place,” Duke University Provost Alec Gallimore told the Academic Council in March. “We can site them where there’s a need for hot water and access to more sustainable energy as a way of bridging the gap between the growth in AI and the sustainability of our planet.”

Several well-known locations lie within a quarter mile of the site: Carolina Friends Early School, which serves children ages 3-6; the Friends Meeting House, where members of the Quaker denomination gather; the Ronald McDonald House, which provides temporary housing and support for seriously ill children and their families; and Duke Gardens, a tourist destination that attracts 600,000 visitors each year.

Ronald McDonald House officials declined to comment on the proposal. Karen Cumberbatch, head of school at Carolina Friends, said the…