New data centers are popping up all over the country, requiring massive amounts of energy and water and creating price hikes for entire communities.
That’s why so many residents are fighting against data centers being built in their areas, though some state and local governments aren’t listening.
1. A data center boomtown
The deserts of northern Nevada are becoming a hub for artificial intelligence infrastructure, offering vast plots of land for relatively cheap and tax incentives that reduce the cost of development. Google, Microsoft, Apple, and Switch already have more than 40 facilities in Reno.
The American West is in a long-term drought, and the area in Nevada has a tightly managed water system that people depend on. After hours of public comment, Reno officials enacted a 30-day halt on new conditional-use permits for data centers.Read more →
2. A Georgia lawsuit
A group of 20 residents in Coweta County, Georgia, has sued over the approval of Project Sail, a $17 billion project. Residents are claiming that the approval violates zoning laws and that a review of the roughly 103 acres of wetlands tied to the project was skipped…