{"id":2156988,"date":"2026-09-22T08:53:37","date_gmt":"2026-09-22T05:53:37","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/?p=2156988"},"modified":"2026-09-22T08:53:37","modified_gmt":"2026-09-22T05:53:37","slug":"hundreds-protest-google-data-centre-planned-for-small-austrian-town","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/?p=2156988","title":{"rendered":"Hundreds protest Google data centre planned for small Austrian town"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>[analyse_image type=&#8221;featured&#8221; src=&#8221;https:\/\/images.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/09\/92\/27\/46\/1200x675_cmsv2_d6c2c62d-e724-523a-9d0a-10fd68c45e01-9922746.jpg&#8221;]<\/p>\n<article id=\"abe-2927685-pos1-c-latest-stories\" class=\"the-media-object m-modeMobile-1 m-modeDesktop-1 m-modeXL-1\" data-nid=\"2927685\" data-cid=\"9923016\" data-part-label=\"Partner content\">\n<figure id=\"abe-2927685-label-pos1-c-latest-stories\" class=\"the-media-object__figure\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"the-media-object__image\" src=\"https:\/\/images.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/09\/92\/29\/34\/189x106_cmsv2_0e415239-475c-5d30-b434-dad2a818816b-9922934.jpg\" loading=\"lazy\" alt=\"File photo\" height=\"9\" width=\"16\"><\/figure>\n<div class=\"the-media-object__content\">\n                    Travel News<\/p>\n<div class=\"the-media-object__title  \">\n<p>    Foreign visitors drive gains in Greek tourism in July\n  <\/p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/article>\n<article id=\"abe-2927677-pos2-c-latest-stories\" class=\"the-media-object m-modeMobile-1 m-modeDesktop-1 m-modeXL-1\" data-nid=\"2927677\" data-cid=\"9922914\" data-part-label=\"Partner content\">\n<figure id=\"abe-2927677-label-pos2-c-latest-stories\" class=\"the-media-object__figure\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"the-media-object__image\" src=\"https:\/\/images.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/09\/92\/29\/14\/189x106_cmsv2_a5e3cdea-6a7b-5e37-867d-45778c36d1fc-9922914.jpg\" loading=\"lazy\" alt=\"Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., left, gestures beside European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen. 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 \">\n<p>    What is \u2018Trump TV\u2019 &#8211; and how does Family Guy and &#8216;Home Alone&#8217; come into it?\n  <\/p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/article>\n<article class=\"helper-site-row o-article-newsy\">\n<div class=\"helper-site-container o-article-newsy__container\">\n<div class=\"o-article-newsy__main\">\n<header class=\"h-grid o-article-newsy__main__header\">\n<nav aria-label=\"Breadcrumbs\" class=\"c-article-breadcrumbs\">\n<div id=\"adb-article-breadcrumb\" class=\"c-article-breadcrumbs__list\">\n<p>                          Next<\/p>\n<p>                          Tech News<\/p><\/div>\n<\/nav>\n<h1 class=\"c-article-redesign-title\">\n                            Hundreds protest Google data centre planned for small Austrian town<\/h1>\n<div class=\"c-article-image-video u-position-relative \">\n<div class=\"js-superdiv u-aspect-ratio-16x9 u-position-relative \" data-controller=\"video-player\" data-sponsored=\"Partner content\"><img fetchpriority=\"high\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"js-poster-img c-article-media__img\" src=\"https:\/\/images.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/09\/92\/27\/46\/1536x864_cmsv2_d6c2c62d-e724-523a-9d0a-10fd68c45e01-9922746.jpg\" width=\"1536\" height=\"864\" loading=\"eager\" alt=\"A woman walks by a giant screen displaying the Google logo at an event at the Paris Google Lab on the sidelines of the AI Action Summit in Paris, Feb. 9, 2025.\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"c-article-caption u-position-absolute\"><i id=\"article-caption-content\" class=\"c-article-caption__content\"><span class=\"c-article-caption__text\"><br \/>\n              A woman walks by a giant screen displaying the Google logo at an event at the Paris Google Lab on the sidelines of the AI Action Summit in Paris, Feb. 9, 2025.<br \/>\n                    <span class=\"u-color-white\">&#8211;\u00a0<\/span><span class=\"c-article-caption__copyright\">Copyright\u00a0<\/span><span class=\"c-article-caption__credit\">AP Photo<\/span><\/span><\/i><\/div>\n<div class=\"c-article-image-copyright c-article-image-copyright--novideo\">\n      Copyright\u00a0AP Photo\n  <\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/header>\n<div class=\"h-grid o-article-newsy__main__body u-article-content\">\n<div class=\"o-article-newsy__contributors-publication-date\">\n<div class=\"c-article-contributors\">\n  By&amp;nbspRoselyne Min\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"c-article-publication-date\" data-timestamp=\"1790067217\">\n         Published on<br \/>\n            <time datetime=\"2026-09-22 10:53:37 +02:00\">22\/09\/2026 &#8211; 10:53 GMT+2<\/time><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"c-article-share-comment u-align-items-center u-display-flex\"><span class=\"c-article-share-comment__links u-align-items-center u-display-flex u-justify-content-center js-c-article-share-comment-share\"><span class=\"c-article-share-comment__label\">Share<\/span><\/span><span class=\"c-article-share-comment__label\">Comments<\/span><span class=\"c-article-share-comment__label 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loading=\"lazy\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<h2 class=\"c-article-summary\">\n        Residents are concerned about a lack of transparency around the project and unanswered questions about the cooling systems, water use and their impact on the River Enns.<br \/>\n    <\/h2>\n<div class=\"c-article-content c-article-content--next js-article-content\">\n<p>Residents of a small Austrian town are taking on Google over plans for a data centre the size of around 70 football pitches. <\/p>\n<div>\n<div class=\"c-ad u-show-for-mobile-only\">\n<div class=\"c-ad__placeholder\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"c-ad__placeholder__logo\" src=\"https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/website\/images\/logos\/logo-euronews-stacked-outlined-72x72-grey-9.svg\" width=\"72\" height=\"72\" alt loading=\"lazy\"><span>ADVERTISEMENT<\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"c-ad u-show-for-desktop\">\n<div class=\"c-ad__placeholder\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"c-ad__placeholder__logo\" src=\"https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/website\/images\/logos\/logo-euronews-stacked-outlined-72x72-grey-9.svg\" width=\"72\" height=\"72\" alt loading=\"lazy\"><span>ADVERTISEMENT<\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>Around 400 people protested against the planned 50-hectare complex earlier this month outside the headquarters of the Upper Austrian regional government in Linz. <\/p>\n<p>Kronstorf, where the data centre is being built, has around 3,500 inhabitants. <\/p>\n<p>Construction works on Google&#8217;s first data centre in Austria began in April, with the first phase expected to become operational in 2027.<\/p>\n<p>The US tech giant says the centre will support growing demand for cloud and AI services, create around 100 direct jobs and thousands of indirect jobs, help strengthen Austria&#8217;s digital infrastructure, and contribute to local sustainability initiatives.<\/p>\n<p>At the groundbreaking ceremony attended by politicians and company representatives, Thomas Stelzer, the governor of Upper Austria, said the centre would send &#8220;a strong signal for Upper Austria as a business and innovation location&#8221;.<\/p>\n<p>However, residents are concerned about a lack of transparency around the project and unanswered questions about the cooling systems, water use and their impact on the River Enns.<\/p>\n<div class=\"c-widget-related\" data-stories-id data-event=\"widget_related\">\n<div class=\"c-widget-related__title\"><b class=\"c-widget-related__title__text\" lang=\"en\">Related<\/b><\/div>\n<ul class=\"c-widget-related__list\" id=\"abe-article-related-1\">\n<li class=\"c-widget-related__item\">Nvidia chip-use emissions match that of a Russian state coal producer, report says<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<p>&#8220;I believe we need a rethink when it comes to this endless growth and expansion,&#8221; said Christina Gruber, an organiser of the protest, freelance artist and aquatic ecologist. <\/p>\n<p>Andrea Kollmann, a 53-year-old lawyer, travelled from Vienna for the protest. Kollmann said the project had advanced &#8220;much too quickly&#8221; and that &#8220;everything is extremely non-transparent, nobody knows anything&#8221;.<\/p>\n<p>Google says its data centres are among the most energy-efficient in the world, but critics argue that even highly efficient facilities can consume vast amounts of electricity and water.<\/p>\n<p>Data centres contain thousands of servers packed with computing chips that run around the clock, drawing large amounts of electricity and generating heat that cooling systems, often using water, must remove. <\/p>\n<p>In Kronstorf, the first phase alone could consume up to 1.31 terawatt-hours of electricity per year, according to media reports, equivalent to roughly the annual consumption of 375,000 households.<\/p>\n<div class=\"c-widget-related\" data-stories-id data-event=\"widget_related\">\n<div class=\"c-widget-related__title\"><b class=\"c-widget-related__title__text\" lang=\"en\">Related<\/b><\/div>\n<ul class=\"c-widget-related__list\" id=\"abe-article-related-2\">\n<li class=\"c-widget-related__item\">Which country in Europe has the most data centres driving the AI boom?<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<h2>Growing number of data centres in Europe<\/h2>\n<p>Europe is already home to hundreds of data centres across the continent while it lags far behind the United States in data centre capacity.<\/p>\n<p>As the continent races to expand its AI and cloud infrastructure, the growing number of proposed data centres has also triggered protests over their environmental impact. <\/p>\n<p>Earlier in September, Scotland halted new hyperscale AI data centre approvals amid environmental concerns.<\/p>\n<p>In Spain, residents of the Aragon region have launched legal action against a massive data centre buildout by Amazon, while the Dutch city of Amsterdam has imposed a moratorium on construction of new data centres over space and power concerns.<\/p>\n<p>Denmark has moved data centres to the bottom of its priority list for grid connections, warning of the strain on its power grid.<\/p>\n<p>Protests have exposed &#8220;tension between this rapid expansion of AI and climate objectives&#8221; and raised broader questions about digital governance in Europe, according to Francesca Musiani, an internet specialist at the French National Center for Scientific Research.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;For me, this is part of what sovereignty should mean in practice: the capacity of different levels of society to participate in shaping the infrastructures on which they depend.&#8221;<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p>                                  Go to accessibility shortcuts<\/p>\n<div class=\"c-article-share-comment u-align-items-center u-display-flex\"><span class=\"c-article-share-comment__links u-align-items-center u-display-flex u-justify-content-center js-c-article-share-comment-share\"><span class=\"c-article-share-comment__label\">Share<\/span><\/span><span class=\"c-article-share-comment__label\">Comments<\/span><span class=\"c-article-share-comment__label c-article-share-comment__label--always\">Add Euronews on Google<\/span><\/div>\n<div id=\"adb-article-you-might-also-like\" class=\"perf-cv-auto c-article-you-might-also-like\">\n<h2 class=\"c-article-you-might-also-like__title\">\n        Read more<br \/>\n      <\/h2>\n<div class=\"c-article-you-might-also-like__container\">\n<article id=\"abe-2927483-pos0-c-article-you-might-also-like__item\" class=\"the-media-object m-modeMobile-1 m-modeDesktop-1 m-modeXL-1\" data-nid=\"2927483\" data-cid=\"9921810\" data-part-label=\"Partner content\">\n<figure id=\"abe-2927483-label-pos0-c-article-you-might-also-like__item\" class=\"the-media-object__figure\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"the-media-object__image\" src=\"https:\/\/images.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/09\/92\/18\/10\/480x270_cmsv2_2ecde100-60cb-5d24-8328-c214dcd87203-9921810.jpg\" loading=\"lazy\" alt=\"Researchers in the United Kingdom, Germany and the United States tested 25 AI models using 200 sentences to see whether they had learned to distinguish pain from fear, sadness\" height=\"9\" width=\"16\"><\/figure>\n<div class=\"the-media-object__content\">\n                    Tech News<\/p>\n<h3 class=\"the-media-object__title  \">\n<p>    Can AI feel pain? Models learned it from human text, study finds<br \/>\n  <\/h3>\n<\/div>\n<\/article>\n<article id=\"abe-2927657-pos1-c-article-you-might-also-like__item\" class=\"the-media-object m-modeMobile-1 m-modeDesktop-1 m-modeXL-1\" data-nid=\"2927657\" data-cid=\"9922746\" data-part-label=\"Partner content\">\n<figure id=\"abe-2927657-label-pos1-c-article-you-might-also-like__item\" class=\"the-media-object__figure\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"the-media-object__image\" src=\"https:\/\/images.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/09\/92\/27\/46\/480x270_cmsv2_d6c2c62d-e724-523a-9d0a-10fd68c45e01-9922746.jpg\" loading=\"lazy\" alt=\"A woman walks by a giant screen displaying the Google logo at an event at the Paris Google Lab on the sidelines of the AI Action Summit in Paris, Feb. 9, 2025.\" height=\"9\" width=\"16\"><\/figure>\n<div class=\"the-media-object__content\">\n                    Tech News<\/p>\n<h3 class=\"the-media-object__title  \">\n<p>    400 people rally against Google data centre in rural Austria<br \/>\n  <\/h3>\n<\/div>\n<\/article>\n<article id=\"abe-2927483-pos2-c-article-you-might-also-like__item\" class=\"the-media-object m-modeMobile-1 m-modeDesktop-1 m-modeXL-1\" data-nid=\"2927483\" data-cid=\"9921810\" data-part-label=\"Partner content\">\n<figure id=\"abe-2927483-label-pos2-c-article-you-might-also-like__item\" class=\"the-media-object__figure\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"the-media-object__image\" src=\"https:\/\/images.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/09\/92\/18\/10\/480x270_cmsv2_2ecde100-60cb-5d24-8328-c214dcd87203-9921810.jpg\" loading=\"lazy\" alt=\"Researchers in the United Kingdom, Germany and the United States tested 25 AI models using 200 sentences to see whether they had learned to distinguish pain from fear, sadness\" height=\"9\" width=\"16\"><\/figure>\n<div class=\"the-media-object__content\">\n                    Tech News<\/p>\n<h3 class=\"the-media-object__title  \">\n<p>    Can AI feel pain? Models learned it from human text, study finds<br \/>\n  <\/h3>\n<\/div>\n<\/article>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"perf-cv-auto\">\n<ul id=\"adb-article-tags\" class=\"c-tags-list\">\n<li class=\"c-tags-list__item\">\n<section class=\"tc-cta\" data-twig-component=\"Cta-default\">\n  Artificial intelligence<br \/>\n<\/section>\n<\/li>\n<li class=\"c-tags-list__item\">\n<section class=\"tc-cta\" data-twig-component=\"Cta-default\">\n  Protest<br \/>\n<\/section>\n<\/li>\n<li class=\"c-tags-list__item\">\n<section class=\"tc-cta\" data-twig-component=\"Cta-default\">\n  Technology<br \/>\n<\/section>\n<\/li>\n<li class=\"c-tags-list__item\">\n<section class=\"tc-cta\" data-twig-component=\"Cta-default\">\n  Data<br \/>\n<\/section>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"tp-vuukle\">\n<div class=\"c-vuukle-skeleton\" aria-hidden=\"true\">\n<div class=\"c-vuukle-skeleton__header\"><span class=\"c-vuukle-skeleton__title\">Comments<\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<aside class=\"o-article-newsy__aside\">\n<div class=\"c-ad-wrapper o-article-newsy__aside__content-1\" data-ad-name=\"adzone-halfpage\">\n<div class=\"c-ad c-ad-halfpage u-show-for-desktop\">\n<div class=\"c-ad__placeholder\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"c-ad__placeholder__logo\" src=\"https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/website\/images\/logos\/logo-euronews-stacked-outlined-72x72-grey-9.svg\" width=\"72\" height=\"72\" alt><span>ADVERTISEMENT<\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"c-ad u-show-for-mobile-only\">\n<div class=\"c-ad__placeholder\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"c-ad__placeholder__logo\" src=\"https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/website\/images\/logos\/logo-euronews-stacked-outlined-72x72-grey-9.svg\" width=\"72\" height=\"72\" alt><span>ADVERTISEMENT<\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div id=\"adb-article-top-stories\" class=\"perf-cv-auto c-top-stories\">\n<h2 class=\"c-top-stories__title\">Top stories<\/h2>\n<div class=\"c-top-stories__item\">\n<article id=\"abe-2927483-pos2-top-stories\" class=\"the-media-object m-modeMobile-2 m-modeDesktop-2 m-modeXL-2 the-media-object--no-label\" data-nid=\"2927483\" data-cid=\"9921810\" data-part-label=\"Partner content\">\n<figure id=\"abe-2927483-label-pos2-top-stories\" class=\"the-media-object__figure\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"the-media-object__image\" src=\"https:\/\/images.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/09\/92\/18\/10\/320x180_cmsv2_2ecde100-60cb-5d24-8328-c214dcd87203-9921810.jpg\" loading=\"lazy\" alt=\"Researchers in the United Kingdom, Germany and the United States tested 25 AI models using 200 sentences to see whether they had learned to distinguish pain from fear, sadness\" height=\"9\" width=\"16\"><\/figure>\n<div class=\"the-media-object__content\">\n<h3 class=\"the-media-object__title  \">\n<p>    Can AI feel pain? Models learned it from human text, study finds<br \/>\n  <\/h3>\n<\/div>\n<\/article>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"c-top-stories__item\">\n<article id=\"abe-2927405-pos3-top-stories\" class=\"the-media-object m-modeMobile-2 m-modeDesktop-2 m-modeXL-2 the-media-object--no-label\" data-nid=\"2927405\" data-cid=\"9921403\" data-part-label=\"Partner content\">\n<figure id=\"abe-2927405-label-pos3-top-stories\" class=\"the-media-object__figure\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"the-media-object__image\" src=\"https:\/\/images.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/09\/92\/14\/03\/320x180_cmsv2_d4884375-8d3b-5a0d-824b-5de00174951c-9921403.jpg\" loading=\"lazy\" alt=\"FILE - Photos show Dario Amodei, Demis Hassabis, Sam Altman and Elon Musk.\" height=\"9\" width=\"16\"><\/figure>\n<div class=\"the-media-object__content\">\n<h3 class=\"the-media-object__title  \">\n<p>    For once, Big Tech agreed on something \u2014 now it&#8217;s being sued for it<br \/>\n  <\/h3>\n<\/div>\n<\/article>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"c-top-stories__item\">\n<article id=\"abe-2927417-pos4-top-stories\" class=\"the-media-object m-modeMobile-2 m-modeDesktop-2 m-modeXL-2 the-media-object--no-label\" data-nid=\"2927417\" data-cid=\"9921439\" data-part-label=\"Partner content\">\n<figure id=\"abe-2927417-label-pos4-top-stories\" class=\"the-media-object__figure\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"the-media-object__image\" src=\"https:\/\/images.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/09\/92\/14\/39\/320x180_cmsv2_cdd55ec3-1fcd-572a-8ddc-be85d1312be0-9921439.jpg\" loading=\"lazy\" alt=\"Jensen Huang, president and CEO of Nvidia, waits for a groundbreaking ceremony for an expansion of Coherent&apos;s manufacturing facility to begin on June 16, 2026\" height=\"9\" width=\"16\"><\/figure>\n<div class=\"the-media-object__content\">\n<h3 class=\"the-media-object__title  \">\n<p>    Nvidia chip use pollutes as much as a Russian coal giant, report says<br \/>\n  <\/h3>\n<\/div>\n<\/article>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"c-top-stories__item\">\n<article id=\"abe-2927391-pos5-top-stories\" class=\"the-media-object m-modeMobile-2 m-modeDesktop-2 m-modeXL-2 the-media-object--has-video the-media-object--no-label\" data-nid=\"2927391\" data-cid=\"9921316\" data-part-label=\"Partner content\">\n<figure id=\"abe-2927391-label-pos5-top-stories\" class=\"the-media-object__figure\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"the-media-object__image\" src=\"https:\/\/images.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/09\/92\/13\/16\/320x180_cmsv2_bab0eb2f-200e-5258-9a89-9592a002c004-9921316.jpg\" loading=\"lazy\" alt=\"FILE - A sign is displayed on a Google building at their campus in Mountain View, Calif., Sept. 24, 2019. 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Models learned it from human text, study finds<br \/>\n  <\/h3>\n<\/div>\n<\/article>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"perf-cv-auto c-ad-wrapper o-article-newsy__aside__content-3\" data-ad-name=\"adzone-halfpage\">\n<div class=\"c-ad c-ad-halfpage u-show-for-desktop\">\n<div class=\"c-ad__placeholder\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"c-ad__placeholder__logo\" src=\"https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/website\/images\/logos\/logo-euronews-stacked-outlined-72x72-grey-9.svg\" width=\"72\" height=\"72\" alt><span>ADVERTISEMENT<\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"c-ad u-show-for-mobile-only\">\n<div class=\"c-ad__placeholder\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"c-ad__placeholder__logo\" src=\"https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/website\/images\/logos\/logo-euronews-stacked-outlined-72x72-grey-9.svg\" width=\"72\" height=\"72\" alt><span>ADVERTISEMENT<\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/aside>\n<\/div>\n<\/article>\n<article id=\"abe-2927483-pos0-c-article-you-might-also-like__item\" class=\"the-media-object m-modeMobile-1 m-modeDesktop-1 m-modeXL-1\" data-nid=\"2927483\" data-cid=\"9921810\" data-part-label=\"Partner content\">\n<figure id=\"abe-2927483-label-pos0-c-article-you-might-also-like__item\" class=\"the-media-object__figure\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"the-media-object__image\" src=\"https:\/\/images.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/09\/92\/18\/10\/480x270_cmsv2_2ecde100-60cb-5d24-8328-c214dcd87203-9921810.jpg\" loading=\"lazy\" alt=\"Researchers in the United Kingdom, Germany and the United States tested 25 AI models using 200 sentences to see whether they had learned to distinguish pain from fear, sadness\" height=\"9\" width=\"16\"><\/figure>\n<div class=\"the-media-object__content\">\n                    Tech News<\/p>\n<h3 class=\"the-media-object__title  \">\n<p>    Can AI feel pain? Models learned it from human text, study finds<br \/>\n  <\/h3>\n<\/div>\n<\/article>\n<article id=\"abe-2927657-pos1-c-article-you-might-also-like__item\" class=\"the-media-object m-modeMobile-1 m-modeDesktop-1 m-modeXL-1\" data-nid=\"2927657\" data-cid=\"9922746\" data-part-label=\"Partner content\">\n<figure id=\"abe-2927657-label-pos1-c-article-you-might-also-like__item\" class=\"the-media-object__figure\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"the-media-object__image\" src=\"https:\/\/images.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/09\/92\/27\/46\/480x270_cmsv2_d6c2c62d-e724-523a-9d0a-10fd68c45e01-9922746.jpg\" loading=\"lazy\" alt=\"A woman walks by a giant screen displaying the Google logo at an event at the Paris Google Lab on the sidelines of the AI Action Summit in Paris, Feb. 9, 2025.\" height=\"9\" width=\"16\"><\/figure>\n<div class=\"the-media-object__content\">\n                    Tech News<\/p>\n<h3 class=\"the-media-object__title  \">\n<p>    400 people rally against Google data centre in rural Austria<br \/>\n  <\/h3>\n<\/div>\n<\/article>\n<article id=\"abe-2927483-pos2-c-article-you-might-also-like__item\" class=\"the-media-object m-modeMobile-1 m-modeDesktop-1 m-modeXL-1\" data-nid=\"2927483\" data-cid=\"9921810\" data-part-label=\"Partner content\">\n<figure id=\"abe-2927483-label-pos2-c-article-you-might-also-like__item\" class=\"the-media-object__figure\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"the-media-object__image\" src=\"https:\/\/images.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/09\/92\/18\/10\/480x270_cmsv2_2ecde100-60cb-5d24-8328-c214dcd87203-9921810.jpg\" loading=\"lazy\" alt=\"Researchers in the United Kingdom, Germany and the United States tested 25 AI models using 200 sentences to see whether they had learned to distinguish pain from fear, sadness\" height=\"9\" width=\"16\"><\/figure>\n<div class=\"the-media-object__content\">\n                    Tech News<\/p>\n<h3 class=\"the-media-object__title  \">\n<p>    Can AI feel pain? Models learned it from human text, study finds<br \/>\n  <\/h3>\n<\/div>\n<\/article>\n<article id=\"abe-2927483-pos2-top-stories\" class=\"the-media-object m-modeMobile-2 m-modeDesktop-2 m-modeXL-2 the-media-object--no-label\" data-nid=\"2927483\" data-cid=\"9921810\" data-part-label=\"Partner content\">\n<figure id=\"abe-2927483-label-pos2-top-stories\" class=\"the-media-object__figure\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"the-media-object__image\" src=\"https:\/\/images.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/09\/92\/18\/10\/320x180_cmsv2_2ecde100-60cb-5d24-8328-c214dcd87203-9921810.jpg\" loading=\"lazy\" alt=\"Researchers in the United Kingdom, Germany and the United States tested 25 AI models using 200 sentences to see whether they had learned to distinguish pain from fear, sadness\" height=\"9\" width=\"16\"><\/figure>\n<div class=\"the-media-object__content\">\n<h3 class=\"the-media-object__title  \">\n<p>    Can AI feel pain? Models learned it from human text, study finds<br \/>\n  <\/h3>\n<\/div>\n<\/article>\n<article id=\"abe-2927405-pos3-top-stories\" class=\"the-media-object m-modeMobile-2 m-modeDesktop-2 m-modeXL-2 the-media-object--no-label\" data-nid=\"2927405\" data-cid=\"9921403\" data-part-label=\"Partner content\">\n<figure id=\"abe-2927405-label-pos3-top-stories\" class=\"the-media-object__figure\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"the-media-object__image\" src=\"https:\/\/images.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/09\/92\/14\/03\/320x180_cmsv2_d4884375-8d3b-5a0d-824b-5de00174951c-9921403.jpg\" loading=\"lazy\" alt=\"FILE - Photos show Dario Amodei, Demis Hassabis, Sam Altman and Elon Musk.\" height=\"9\" width=\"16\"><\/figure>\n<div class=\"the-media-object__content\">\n<h3 class=\"the-media-object__title  \">\n<p>    For once, Big Tech agreed on something \u2014 now it&#8217;s being sued for it<br \/>\n  <\/h3>\n<\/div>\n<\/article>\n<article id=\"abe-2927417-pos4-top-stories\" class=\"the-media-object m-modeMobile-2 m-modeDesktop-2 m-modeXL-2 the-media-object--no-label\" data-nid=\"2927417\" data-cid=\"9921439\" data-part-label=\"Partner content\">\n<figure id=\"abe-2927417-label-pos4-top-stories\" class=\"the-media-object__figure\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"the-media-object__image\" src=\"https:\/\/images.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/09\/92\/14\/39\/320x180_cmsv2_cdd55ec3-1fcd-572a-8ddc-be85d1312be0-9921439.jpg\" loading=\"lazy\" alt=\"Jensen Huang, president and CEO of Nvidia, waits for a groundbreaking ceremony for an expansion of Coherent&apos;s manufacturing facility to begin on June 16, 2026\" height=\"9\" width=\"16\"><\/figure>\n<div class=\"the-media-object__content\">\n<h3 class=\"the-media-object__title  \">\n<p>    Nvidia chip use pollutes as much as a Russian coal giant, report says<br \/>\n  <\/h3>\n<\/div>\n<\/article>\n<article id=\"abe-2927391-pos5-top-stories\" class=\"the-media-object m-modeMobile-2 m-modeDesktop-2 m-modeXL-2 the-media-object--has-video the-media-object--no-label\" data-nid=\"2927391\" data-cid=\"9921316\" data-part-label=\"Partner content\">\n<figure id=\"abe-2927391-label-pos5-top-stories\" class=\"the-media-object__figure\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"the-media-object__image\" src=\"https:\/\/images.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/09\/92\/13\/16\/320x180_cmsv2_bab0eb2f-200e-5258-9a89-9592a002c004-9921316.jpg\" loading=\"lazy\" alt=\"FILE - A sign is displayed on a Google building at their campus in Mountain View, Calif., Sept. 24, 2019. (AP Photo\/Jeff Chiu, File)\" height=\"9\" width=\"16\"><\/figure>\n<div class=\"the-media-object__content\">\n<h3 class=\"the-media-object__title  \">\n<p>    Another Big Tech fine: Google penalised \u20ac403m by Irish data watchdog<br \/>\n  <\/h3>\n<\/div>\n<\/article>\n<article id=\"abe-2927368-pos6-top-stories\" class=\"the-media-object m-modeMobile-2 m-modeDesktop-2 m-modeXL-2 the-media-object--no-label\" data-nid=\"2927368\" data-cid=\"9921192\" data-part-label=\"Partner content\">\n<figure id=\"abe-2927368-label-pos6-top-stories\" class=\"the-media-object__figure\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"the-media-object__image\" src=\"https:\/\/images.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/09\/92\/11\/92\/320x180_cmsv2_71572a2d-007c-5afd-922a-fe4de1a155b1-9921192.jpg\" loading=\"lazy\" alt=\"US President Donald Trump, AP\" height=\"9\" width=\"16\"><\/figure>\n<div class=\"the-media-object__content\">\n<h3 class=\"the-media-object__title  \">\n<p>    &#8216;High I.Q. individuals only&#8217;: Trump unveils &#8216;AI Force&#8217; and AI &#8216;czar&#8217;<br \/>\n  <\/h3>\n<\/div>\n<\/article>\n<article id=\"abe-2927417-pos1-mostViewed\" class=\"the-media-object m-modeMobile-3 m-modeDesktop-3 m-modeXL-3 the-media-object--has-related the-media-object--no-label\" data-nid=\"2927417\" data-cid=\"9921439\" data-part-label=\"Partner content\">\n<div class=\"the-media-object__content\">\n<h3 class=\"the-media-object__title  \">\n<p>    Nvidia chip use pollutes as much as a Russian coal giant, report says<br \/>\n  <\/h3>\n<\/div>\n<\/article>\n<article id=\"abe-2927405-pos2-mostViewed\" class=\"the-media-object m-modeMobile-3 m-modeDesktop-3 m-modeXL-3 the-media-object--no-label\" data-nid=\"2927405\" data-cid=\"9921403\" data-part-label=\"Partner content\">\n<div class=\"the-media-object__content\">\n<h3 class=\"the-media-object__title  \">\n<p>    For once, Big Tech agreed on something \u2014 now it&#8217;s being sued for it<br \/>\n  <\/h3>\n<\/div>\n<\/article>\n<article id=\"abe-2927391-pos3-mostViewed\" class=\"the-media-object m-modeMobile-3 m-modeDesktop-3 m-modeXL-3 the-media-object--has-video the-media-object--no-label\" data-nid=\"2927391\" data-cid=\"9921316\" data-part-label=\"Partner content\">\n<div class=\"the-media-object__content\">\n<h3 class=\"the-media-object__title  \">\n<p>    Another Big Tech fine: Google penalised \u20ac403m by Irish data watchdog<br \/>\n  <\/h3>\n<\/div>\n<\/article>\n<article id=\"abe-2927368-pos4-mostViewed\" class=\"the-media-object m-modeMobile-3 m-modeDesktop-3 m-modeXL-3 the-media-object--no-label\" data-nid=\"2927368\" data-cid=\"9921192\" data-part-label=\"Partner content\">\n<div class=\"the-media-object__content\">\n<h3 class=\"the-media-object__title  \">\n<p>    &#8216;High I.Q. individuals only&#8217;: Trump unveils &#8216;AI Force&#8217; and AI &#8216;czar&#8217;<br \/>\n  <\/h3>\n<\/div>\n<\/article>\n<article id=\"abe-2927483-pos5-mostViewed\" class=\"the-media-object m-modeMobile-3 m-modeDesktop-3 m-modeXL-3 the-media-object--has-related the-media-object--no-label\" data-nid=\"2927483\" data-cid=\"9921810\" data-part-label=\"Partner content\">\n<div class=\"the-media-object__content\">\n<h3 class=\"the-media-object__title  \">\n<p>    Can AI feel pain? Models learned it from human text, study finds<br \/>\n  <\/h3>\n<\/div>\n<\/article>\n<div class=\"articleBody\" data-key=\"articleBody\">Residents of a small Austrian town are taking on Google over plans for a data centre the size of around 70 football pitches.\u00a0Around 400 people protested against the planned 50-hectare complex earlier this month outside the headquarters of the Upper Austrian regional government in Linz.Kronstorf, where the data centre is being built, has around 3,500 inhabitants.\u00a0Construction works on Google&#8217;s first data centre in Austria began in April, with the first phase expected to become operational in 2027.The US tech giant says the centre will support growing demand for cloud and AI services, create around 100 direct jobs and thousands of indirect jobs, help strengthen Austria&#8217;s digital infrastructure, and contribute to local sustainability initiatives.At the groundbreaking ceremony attended by politicians and company representatives, Thomas Stelzer, the governor of Upper Austria, said the centre would send &#8220;a strong signal for Upper Austria as a business and innovation location&#8221;.However, residents are concerned about a lack of transparency around the project and unanswered questions about the cooling systems, water use and their impact on the River Enns.&#8221;I believe we need a rethink when it comes to this endless growth and expansion,&#8221; said\u00a0 Christina Gruber, an organiser of the protest, freelance artist and aquatic ecologist.\u00a0Andrea Kollmann, a 53-year-old lawyer, travelled from Vienna for the protest. Kollmann said the project had advanced &#8220;much too quickly&#8221; and that &#8220;everything is extremely non-transparent, nobody knows anything&#8221;.Google says its data centres are among the most energy-efficient in the world, but critics argue that even highly efficient facilities can consume vast amounts of electricity and water.Data centres contain thousands of servers packed with computing chips that run around the clock, drawing large amounts of electricity and generating heat that cooling systems, often using water, must remove.\u00a0In Kronstorf, the first phase alone could consume up to 1.31 terawatt-hours of electricity per year, according to media reports, equivalent to roughly the annual consumption of 375,000 households.Growing number of data centres in EuropeEurope is already home to hundreds of data centres across the continent while it lags far behind the United States in data centre capacity.As the continent races to expand its AI and cloud infrastructure, the growing number of proposed data centres has also triggered protests over their environmental impact.\u00a0Earlier in September, Scotland halted new hyperscale AI data centre approvals amid environmental concerns.In Spain, residents of the Aragon region have launched legal action against a massive data centre buildout by Amazon, while the Dutch city of Amsterdam has imposed a moratorium on construction of new data centres over space and power concerns.Denmark has moved data centres to the bottom of its priority list for grid connections, warning of the strain on its power grid.Protests have exposed &#8220;tension between this rapid expansion of AI and climate objectives&#8221; and raised broader questions about digital governance in Europe, according to Francesca Musiani, an internet specialist at the French National Center for Scientific Research.&#8221;For me, this is part of what sovereignty should mean in practice: the capacity of different levels of society to participate in shaping the infrastructures on which they depend.&#8221;<\/div>\n<p>[analyse_source url=&#8221;https:\/\/www.euronews.com\/next\/2026\/09\/22\/hundreds-protest-google-data-centre-planned-for-small-austrian-town&#8221;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>[analyse_image type=&#8221;featured&#8221; src=&#8221;https:\/\/images.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/09\/92\/27\/46\/1200x675_cmsv2_d6c2c62d-e724-523a-9d0a-10fd68c45e01-9922746.jpg&#8221;] Travel News Foreign visitors drive gains in Greek tourism in July Europe News EU strikes Philippines trade deal in push to diversify Europe News Russia and Ukraine trade strikes as Zelenskyy prepares to meet Trump Culture news What is \u2018Trump TV\u2019 &#8211; and how does Family Guy and &#8216;Home Alone&#8217; come into [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[90],"tags":[226,36],"class_list":["post-2156988","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-international","tag-crawlmanager","tag-euronews-com"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2156988","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=2156988"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2156988\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=2156988"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=2156988"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=2156988"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}