Tech giants eye Patagonia for massive low-temperature data centers

Tech firms such as Amazon, OpenAI and Google are exploring Patagonia - a glacier-rich region shared by Argentina and Chile - for the construction of huge data centers that could benefit from the area’s naturally low temperatures. The region’s plentiful water, wind, shale-gas and growing solar capacity are seen as viable power sources, potentially reducing cooling energy needs. Argentine authorities have not rejected the idea, and there is little organized resistance, though President Javier Milei’s stance could be tested in the 2027 election.

Indigenous peoples’ requirements must also be incorporated into any development plans. OpenAI is planning a 500 MW clean-energy facility, while the Polish firm Green Capital is proposing a 300 MW center, both contingent on resolving resource-extraction methods and network extensions to the remote location.