Data Centers 101 with Amy Sharma

Amy Sharma, PhD, is Executive Director of Science for Georgia, a nonprofit that bridges the gap between scientists and the public through training, outreach, and advocating for the responsible use of science in public policy. Currently she is working with a coalition of coalitions focused on mitigating the negative impacts of the data center expansion on the health, wellbeing, water, energy, and the environment.
Her career spans industry, academia, and government—including VP of Product at Prediko (acquired by United Technologies Corp), leadership roles at GTRI, faculty at the University of Western Australia, a AAAS Science & Technology Policy Fellowship at the National Science Foundation, and a microprocessor designer for IBM. She earned her PhD in Biomedical Engineering from Duke University and enjoys jobs with overly long titles, translating technical ideas for non-scientists, science stand-up comedy, and sewing.
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Timestamp -
00:00:00 – Intro & welcome
00:01:53 – Subscribe / show info (YouTube, Facebook, SoundCloud, Spotify, Apple Podcasts)
00:02:46 – Guest introduction & topic framing
00:04:08 – Amy describes Science for Georgia
00:05:40 – Amy's career path to the role
00:06:55 – What is a data center?
00:08:57 – Will data centers be here forever?
00:11:10 – Obsolescence & adaptive reuse of data center buildings
00:13:23 – Is it true economic development?
00:15:53 – Complementary businesses nearby?
00:16:19 – The AOC brown water story
00:20:50 – Water scarcity, drought, and ethics
00:23:47 – Noise concerns near residences
00:26:27 – Distance from residential areas & mitigations
00:27:23 – Communities getting it right? Model ordinances
00:30:59 – Riverkeeper partnership
00:32:14 – Strategic locations: power and water access
00:34:32 – GMA (Georgia Municipal Association) partnership
00:36:33 – UGA and Science for Georgia's role as an information resource
00:39:11 – Website info (scienceforgeorgia.org)
00:39:52 – Closing thoughts: transparency and getting involved locally
00:41:17 – Final question on safe distance
00:41:37 – Follow-up: safe distance answer revealed (1–6 mile buffer)
00:43:16 – Final reflections: trade-offs and zoning
00:44:22 – Sign-off / Bible verse and outro