Data centers manifest their destiny in middle America

Data centers aren’t typically something you see advertised. But these recent ads aren’t trying to sell you on a graphics processing unit (GPU), cloud platform, or some other product. They’re trying to sell you on an idea – the idea of a data center coming to your small town. Why now, though? As the artificial intelligence (AI) boom has prompted more building, data centers have started to see more pushback from communities—even those that have long been home to data centers. In just the last month, local officials in Chandler (AZ) and St. Joseph County (IN) rejected rezoning requests for major data center projects, while officials in East Vincent (PA) halted consideration of a proposal following an outcry from residents. The rising tide of opposition is obviously a problem for developers and tech titans, who are now apparently trying to smooth things over with PR campaigns. While local residents have primarily objected to data center projects on energy, water, and aesthetic concerns, it seems data centers are hoping the prospect of new jobs will overcome these.