Rural US communities push back on new AI data centers

In short: Data centers that power AI and cloud services are increasingly being planned in rural areas, and many small communities are organizing to stop them.

What's going on

Data centers are large buildings filled with computers that store data and run online services. They also use a lot of electricity and, in many cases, water for cooling (like a giant radiator system). As companies build more AI tools, they are also building more of these facilities.

According to Pew Research Center, 67 percent of planned data centers are in rural areas, even though 87 percent of existing ones are in cities. Developers are looking for cheaper land and local tax deals. Bloomberg data cited in the report says more than 160 new AI focused data centers have been built in the past three years, about a 70 percent increase.

In Tazewell County, Illinois, farmers opposed a proposed data center over concerns it could draw from the same underground water supply used for irrigation and drinking. After packed meetings and petitions, the project was scrapped. Similar fights are showing up in places like West Virginia and Arizona, where residents worry about limited water and higher power bills.

Not everyone is against them. Near DeKalb, Illinois, one farmer said leasing land for solar panels and supplying power to data centers can pay far more than growing corn. Local officials in DeKalb also say a Meta data center has brought in major property tax revenue for schools.

What to watch

Expect more conflicts over water, electricity, and transparency as larger data centers are proposed. Companies are promoting “closed loop” cooling systems that use less water, but researchers say some alternatives can use more electricity in hot months. With politics also entering the debate, rules on where and how data centers can be built may tighten in more states.

Source: Arstechnica