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80% of Data Centers in Climate-Vulnerable Zones, Study Finds

6/19/2026

Summary

First Street Warns

First Street reports that 80% of data-center capacity sits in climate-vulnerable locations.
Floods, high winds, wildfires and heat-drought stress can shut facilities offline, raise costs and cut efficiency over 20-30 years.
CEO Matthew Eby says outdated weather models no longer match changing climate.
Chief economist Jeremy Porter warns fortified sites may be unusable if roads, grids or other infrastructure fail, adding that Asia-Pacific exposure is 90% and US/Europe about 50%.

Summary

First Street Launches

First Street launched its Enterprise Suite in December 2024, converting climate-risk models into financial signals.
The suite’s peer-reviewed models assess flooding, wildfire, extreme wind and heat for every property worldwide.
A study of 97 data-center markets found 79% of capacity exposed to acute hazards such as flooding and wildfire.
Global data-center capacity is expected to nearly double by 2030 as trillions flow into cloud and AI infrastructure.

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First Street Warns

First Street reports that 80% of data-center capacity sits in climate-vulnerable locations.
Floods, high winds, wildfires and heat-drought stress can shut facilities offline, raise costs and cut efficiency over 20-30 years.
CEO Matthew Eby says outdated weather models no longer match changing climate.
Chief economist Jeremy Porter warns fortified sites may be unusable if roads, grids or other infrastructure fail, adding that Asia-Pacific exposure is 90% and US/Europe about 50%.

1 / 2