Fairview Satellite: The Impact of Artificial Intelligence Data Centers on Lake Erie
AI-driven data centers are multiplying, growing exponentially larger, and moving toward the Great Lakes to take advantage of a perceived abundance of fresh water. But at what cost? Some critics argue that data centers could cost Lake Erie as much as three feet of surface water over the next few years. Others argue that there will be no tangible impact. Even if the truth lies somewhere between the extreme predictions, there could be significant issues. Join JES Scholar-in-Residence Dr. David Frew as he discusses the extraordinary growth of that infant industry and its enormous need for cooling water, highlighting the current initiative led by retired Pittsburgh Steeler running back, Rocky Bleir, to bring a major data center to Erie.
Location: Lincoln Community Center Library – 1255 Manchester Road, Erie, PA 16505
Date/Time: Monday, June 15th, 6:00-7:30PM
Admission: FREE
Historian and author David Frew, Ph.D., is a JES Scholar-in-Residence. An emeritus professor at Gannon University, he held a variety of administrative positions during a 33-year career. He is also emeritus director of the Erie County Historical Society/Hagen History Center, where he had previously served as Executive Director for five years, and is president of his own management consulting business.
After beginning with a five-year career in engineering, Frew took a teaching fellowship at Kent State University, where he earned a doctorate in Organizational Behavior in 1970. His love of Lake Erie brought him back to Erie where he became a faculty member and the founding director of Gannon's MBA Program. His career at Gannon included administrative posts as Director of the Health Services Administration and Public Administration Programs, as well as Dean of the Graduate School. In 1982 and 1983, he took a leave from Gannon to complete a post-doctorate at Kent State University where he completed advanced coursework in psychology and research design. He was also a visiting professor at Mercyhurst University for four years.
Dr. Frew has authored or co-authored 40 books, most recently “Accidental Parade: A 13,000-Year History of Presque Isle,” and more than 100 articles, cases, and papers. His work has appeared in publications ranging from refereed journals such as The Journal of Applied Psychology to popular magazines such as Sail Magazine and Cruising World.
Growing up on Erie's lower west side as a proud "Bay Rat," Frew was known to join neighborhood kids playing and marauding along the west bayfront. He has written for years about his beloved Presque Isle and his adventures on the Great Lakes. In the “On the Waterfront Series” for the JES, the Scholar-in-Residence takes note of life in and around the water.
