Impact Assessment of Elea Data Centers: The Case of Elea in the Rio AI City Project

This report examines the societal, environmental, governance, and urban implications of large-scale artificial intelligence (AI) data center development through the case of Rio AI City, a proposed hyperscale digital infrastructure initiative led by Elea Data Centers in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Conducted as a SIPA capstone workshop project in partnership with Elea Data Centers and the University of São Paulo, the study explores how rapidly expanding digital infrastructure can be planned, measured, and governed in a manner that supports long-term sustainable development.

The research combined in-country visits, stakeholder interviews, spatial analysis, international benchmarking, and thematic research across six focus areas: energy; water and environmental stress; labor and socioeconomic inclusion; housing, land use, and urban planning; governance and ESG; and monitoring and evaluation. While the original project design envisioned a localized neighborhood impact assessment, limitations in data availability and stakeholder access prompted a methodological evolution toward the development of a forward-looking Impact Measurement and Management Framework.

The report’s key outputs include an international benchmarking analysis, stakeholder mapping, spatial community assessment, thematic findings, strategic recommendations, and an adaptable framework for future impact measurement. Together, these deliverables position Rio AI City as a case study in balancing technological competitiveness, sustainability, and public legitimacy within the emerging global AI infrastructure landscape.