Lindsey Couch (She/Her), Fordham Law Class of 2027

It is no surprise that artificial intelligence (“AI”) has taken the world by storm.  The convenience and accessibility of these programs draw the attention of everyone from school children to professionals.  However, an often forgotten component of this technology is the impact of the AI data centers being built across the U.S. Data centers store the technology needed to power AI services and applications.  Due to the high demand and workload of AI, the traditional data center does not have the capacity to support AI services. AI data centers are huge, with some being as large as 50,000 acres and studies estimate these data centers will consume up to 40 gigawatts of power in the future.  To put this into perspective, one gigawatt can power up to 100 million LED lightbulbs. 

This past July, President Trump issued an Executive Order (“EO”) titled “Accelerating Federal Permitting of Data Center Infrastructure,” which expedited the issuance of permits for AI data centers.  The usage of federal lands and resources for AI data centers is permitted by this EO.  The streamlining of this zoning process is concerning for the communities that these data centers are likely to impact.  Trump has made the development of AI a main goal of his administration. 

Reports explain that the process of building data centers lacks transparency.  Companies tout these data centers as economic beacons for the community that provide jobs and bring investments into the community.  However, these communities must grapple with the consequences of pollution and immense resource usage.  Data centers can use up to 5 million gallons of water daily – the equivalent water usage of a town of 50,000 people.  Not only does  this have dire effects on the environment in these communities, such as increased pollution, but also on their water and energy bills.  The rise in utility bills stems from the increase in demand for energy without the increase in energy infrastructure, leading utility companies to spread the cost of usage to consumers. 

Where do we go from here?

The states mainly affected by the building of AI data centers have been Virginia, Arizona, Ohio, and Nebraska. However, with the Trump administration’s implementation of lax regulations regarding these centers, more states will likely be added to the list.  The landscape seems bleak given the current administration’s push to develop AI and give these large tech corporations fastpasses to develop the centers.  

Despite this administration’s haste to develop AI data centers, organizations and communities are coming together to protest.  There are at least 142 activist groups across the country that are actively fighting to block and delay the building of data centers.  And it’s working – $64 billion in data center projects has been blocked or delayed by activist efforts.  While pushes for these data centers by big tech organizations have been seemingly successful at a federal level, there is still hope for the future through these organizations and grassroot campaigns.