Pressure Systems edition
Data Center Moratoriums Collide With Grid Strain Across Municipalities
August 3, 2026
What this edition shows
Rapid AI infrastructure expansion is colliding with municipal resistance, highlighted by Mississauga’s proposed data center pause and escalating public backlash across Ontario and Oregon. At the same time, regional water shortages in the American Southwest and a looming wave of spent electric vehicle batteries expose the severe material and environmental disconnect between tech-driven growth and physical resource limits.
Reporting and analysis behind this edition 9 sources
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Data Centers Are Easy to Build. Powering Them Is Complicated, Slow, and Expensive
A new AI data center can be up and running in a year. Building new energy infrastructure to power it could take a decade.
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Mississauga votes for data centre moratorium that could set Canadian precedent
A proposed one-year pause on data centre applications was supported 11-0; the bylaw is subject to final approval in September.
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The secret to a better grid? Electric vehicles
Despite fearmongering that EVs will crash the grid, an emerging technology will help them support it by providing backup power.
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‘The Largest Hay Shed in Oregon’?
Mike Rogoway of The Oregonian discusses AI data centers, their impact, and what comes next.
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US proposes cuts to Colorado River use for Arizona, California and Nevada
The proposal comes as the river faces a historic water shortage, with reservoirs reaching levels not seen since 1957.
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Where data centres are proposed, Ontario voters have questions for their local candidates
Residents are concerned over the risks presented by the developments, which are part of a global boom driven by AI. And the public backlash is starting to shape the platforms of candidates.
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Being a Luddite Is Fun Again
As tech backlash hits the mainstream, the ‘Summer of Ludd’ proves we don’t need social media to hang out and have a good time.
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China’s EV Market Is Booming. There’s Just One Problem
More EVs reaching the end of their life means more batteries to recycle. But waste management companies have yet to catch up to the new reality.
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How next-generation photovoltaics could contribute to electricity storage
Due to the falling price of silicon solar cells, as well as their manageable size, the sight of solar panels on household rooftops has become a familiar one. However, solar energy, as many other sustainable forms of energy, is intermittent. At peak moments, such as on sunny summer days, the grid is…