So far, most reports have come from Texas.
Erin Brockovich, the American environmental activist played by Julia Roberts in the film that bears her name, has launched a new project that aims to give people “a platform to speak out and voice their concerns about AI data centers in their communities.” The new Brockovich AI Data Center Reporting website focuses on a map showing major operational data centers and AI facilities under construction in the United States, as well as projects reported by the community. Some reports may relate to rumored or proposed projects, so each point on the map does not represent an already operating data center.
The website has received 2,716 reports so far, with the largest portion coming from Texas. Of the 612 reports coming from the state, 297 came from Sulfur Springs, where MSB Global is building one of the largest AI data center projects on the continent. The company plans to build 3 gigawatts of data centers in 30 buildings on approximately 1,600 acres of land. As you might expect, he faces pushback from the community, as well as lawsuits from the land’s former owners and at least one resident.
According to the reports received on the site, most people are worried about water, then electricity, then the health of the people in their communities. AI data centers require enormous amounts of water, threatening the fresh water supplies of nearby cities. Larger facilities use 5 million gallons per day, according to the Institute for Environmental and Energy Studies, which is about the same amount used by a city of 10,000 to 50,000 people.
AI data centers also consume huge amounts of electricity, forcing energy companies to upgrade their infrastructure. According to the same non-governmental organization, utilities pass on the cost of these improvements to consumers by charging them more. And when it comes to health, people worry about the air and noise pollution that AI data centers will bring to their communities.
Brockovich is best known for her work investigating groundwater contamination in Hinkley, California, in the early 1990s. Her work was instrumental in winning the lawsuit against Pacific Gas & Electric Company (PG&E), whose wastewater was contaminating the city’s water supply and making people sick.
