Chile's Environment Court Asks Google To Revise Data Center Development Permits

The environmental court in Chile partially canceled permission to allow Google to build a data center (photo: dock. pexels)

JAKARTA - The environmental court in Chile partially canceled a permit allowing Google to build a data center in the country on Tuesday, February 27. The court also asked the US company to revise its application taking into account the impact of climate change.

Google first received an initial permit for the $200 million Cerrillos Data Center announced at Santiago in early 2020, but the project has since sparked protests from local residents and officials over its possible impact on the dry aquifer in the capital.

Chile has suffered from drought for more than a decade, and the data server needs millions of gallons of water annually for cooling.

The court asked Google "to consider the effects of climate change in the evaluation of water components (Akuiferat Santiago), if appropriate, taking into account the possible modification of the server cooling system associated with the project," the ruling reads.

A Google spokesperson told Reuters the company would "continue to collaborate with local authorities' requirements," adding that by February 2022 they had proposed a change in the original design so the center used air conditioning.