WorkThe story, in brief
Nearly 80% of data center capacity is at elevated risk to climate hazards like flooding and fire, study says
80% of global data center capacity at elevated climate risk. Your AI infrastructure is built on sand.
The KeyNews take
Why it matters
As AI compute demands surge, the physical infrastructure underpinning model training and deployment faces existential climate threats—a critical risk factor for anyone betting on scaling AI workloads.
The key facts
4 to knowNearly 80% of global data center capacity faces elevated climate hazard risk
Risks include both acute events (flooding, fire) and chronic exposure (extreme heat)
Study covers climate change impact on data center viability and resilience
Published June 18, 2026 by CNBC
Go to the source
CNBC Technologycnbc.com
Publisher excerpt: The vast majority of data centers globally face either acute risk from climate change events or chronic risk from ongoing climate issues like extreme heat.