Concerns Over Electromagnetic Waves and Cooling Device Noise
Difficulties in Establishment Due to Residents' Opposition
"On-site Verification Shows Electromagnetic Waves Less Than 1% of Safety Standards"
Recently, Goyang City in Gyeonggi Province has been suffering from residents' complaints. While the establishment of data centers is booming to respond to the era of artificial intelligence (AI), conflicts between operators and residents are emerging.
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According to related industries and Goyang City on the 11th, the data center projects in Siksadong and Munbongdong in the area have not even broken ground due to opposition from local residents. Currently, there are two data centers in Goyang City, and six more are scheduled to be established. The related industry evaluates that the city has optimal conditions for data center locations due to its proximity to Seoul and good transportation.
Residents oppose the construction of data centers because of concerns that electricity may harm health. They argue that when a 154 kV ultra-high voltage line is introduced, electromagnetic waves, radio interference, and noise from cooling devices occur, which could threaten survival. Electricity is used not only in data centers but also in daily life, yet only data centers are stigmatized with the ‘adverse effects of electricity’ label.
Experts have different views. Han Nam-hyun, president of the Korea Association of Building Electrical Engineers, said, "Facilities such as Seoul Metro, which uses the most electricity in Seoul, as well as the 63 Building, Lotte Tower, and POSCO Tower, do not harm local residents." Yongsan Station’s I'Park Mall also uses a 154 kV ultra-high voltage line, but few people know this.
Electromagnetic waves detected in an on-site verification conducted at a super-large data center were less than 1% of the domestic safety standards. Song Jun-hwa, secretary general of the Korea Data Center Energy Efficiency Association, suggested a solution: "If transmission lines are buried according to legal permissible standards and soundproofing facilities are installed to reduce noise, it will not be a problem."
A bigger problem is that power supply to the metropolitan area is facing difficulties. With the revision of the Enforcement Decree of the Electricity Business Act in 2023, Korea Electric Power Corporation (KEPCO) now has grounds to refuse electricity supply to users consuming 5 MW or more. Under the Special Act on the Activation of Distributed Energy, which came into effect in June last year, a power system impact assessment must be conducted for power demands of 10 MW or more.
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