Data Center Race Reshaping American Communities Amid AI Boom

The race to build data centers across America has reached unprecedented scale, transforming landscapes and sparking debates from rural towns to suburban neighborhoods. Environmental activist Erin Brockovich, known for her work on environmental justice, has launched a mapping tool to track this infrastructure boom, capturing both the physical footprint and community impacts of the data center expansion.

The Brockovich Data Center Map currently documents 33 operational facilities, 44 under construction, and 27 proposed projects nationwide, accompanied by 2,716 community reports detailing local experiences. This grassroots documentation reveals a complex pattern of acceptance, resistance, and uncertainty as communities grapple with the economic benefits and environmental costs of these digital infrastructure projects.

"The RACE to build AI infrastructures is unfolding town by town across America," Brockovich writes on the site. "In some places, data centers are welcomed. In others, they are delayed, contested or abandoned altogether."

The surge in data center construction directly correlates with the explosive growth of artificial intelligence and cloud computing. Tech giants and specialized infrastructure companies are investing billions to build facilities capable of supporting the computational demands of AI models, machine learning applications, and the broader digital economy.

Major players in this space include Digital Realty, Equinix, and CoreSite Realty Corporation, which have all reported significant increases in demand for their data center capacity. Traditional cloud providers like Amazon Web Services, Microsoft Azure, and Google Cloud are also expanding their physical footprints to support AI workloads.

The environmental implications of these facilities have become a focal point of community concern. Data centers consume massive amounts of electricity—often requiring dedicated power plants—and significant quantities of water for cooling. A single large data center can use as much water as a small town, raising questions about sustainability in regions already facing water scarcity.

Local governments are increasingly navigating complex trade-offs. On one hand, data centers promise substantial economic benefits through tax revenue, job creation, and infrastructure investment. On the other, they strain resources and may alter community character. Some jurisdictions have implemented moratoriums on new data center development while they assess long-term impacts.

The Brockovich map serves as both a resource for journalists and a platform for community voices. It documents not just the locations of facilities but also the stories of communities experiencing this transformation firsthand. The tool has become particularly valuable for journalists covering the intersection of technology, environment, and local governance—a beat that is quickly developing its own expertise and sources.

As the AI revolution continues to accelerate, the physical infrastructure supporting it will only grow. The Brockovich map captures a moment in time when communities are still determining their relationship with these digital behemoths. The pattern that emerges may well shape how America develops its technological future—community by community, data center by data center.