Can they build them next to the oceans and use that water for cooling?
There are many alternatives to large data centers being pursued...includi. in ocean, in sky, distributed, for homes, etc.
From what I can tell, they have been built in the interior of Australia, which is very sparsely populated. Whether that choice was because that land is relatively cheap or because no one is there to protest, I don’t know. Most people in Australia live near the coast, so access to ocean water is expensive.