One of East Coast’s largest data centers accused of ‘violating federal law'

The Race to Rethink Data Centers for AI’s Power Surge

With energy demand already straining infrastructure, AI players are reimagining the data center from the ground up.

AI Data Centers: Big Tech's Impact on Electric Bills, Water, and More via @ConsumerReports

Massive data centers are gobbling up resources across the United States. The boom has just begun—and you may be paying for it.

Inside the Dirty, Dystopian World of AI Data Centers

The race to power AI is already remaking the physical world.

The UK tech energy grab: how AI data centres are delaying the building of homes

Artificial intelligence infrastructure is being handed priority access to Britain's overwhelmed electricity grid, pushing housing down the list. But as the US shows, there's an alternative: make Big Tech pay for the power it needs. Report by Nicole Kobie

Maine House advances data center moratorium • Maine Morning Star

The Maine House of Representatives has given initial approval to a bill that would ban most data centers until November 2027. The bill, LD 307, places a moratorium on data centers with a load of 20 megawatts or more. House lawmakers passed the bill by a vote of 82-62 Monday, advancing it to the Senate.  […]

AI Data Centers Use Far More Water Than Most Tech Giants Report

Water used at the power plants that supply electricity to data centers can be much greater than the water used in the data centers themselves.

People Hate Datacenters, Survey Finds

The data drops as Sen. Bernie Sanders calls for a moratorium on datacenter construction. 'We need to take a deep breath. We need to make sure that AI and robotics work for all of us, not just a handful of billionaires.'

As tech companies race to build data centers, more communities are pushing back

Concerns about electricity bills and local impacts are fueling bipartisan opposition to the massive data centers that power the digital economy, from cloud services to AI chatbots. In Wisconsin, as in other states, the tussles are personal – and fraught.

US data centers’ energy use amid the artificial intelligence boom

Data centers accounted for 4% of total U.S. electricity use in 2024. Their energy demand is expected to more than double by 2030.

Elon Musk's Memphis AI empire is the epicenter of the data center backlash

Data center-related policy proposals, protests and litigation are underway across the country citing Colossus and Memphis as a cautionary tale.

What Happens When Data Centers Come to Town?

The rapid growth of data centers, with their enormous energy and water demands, necessitates targeted policy interventions to mitigate environmental impacts and protect local communities. To address these issues, states with existing data center tax breaks should adopt sustainable growth policies for data centers, mandating energy audits, strict performance standards, and renewable energy integration, while also requiring transparency in energy usage reporting. “Renewable energy additionality” clauses should ensure data centers contribute to new renewable capacity rather than relying on existing resources. 

Are AI data centers coming to your area?

This free, crowd-sourced tracker website is one of the most comprehensive attempts we’ve seen to keep tabs on where new data centers are being proposed. Maps are currently available across 18 states, with data compiled from public sources. You can read about the Data Center Proposal Tracker creator’s methodology here. [Image: Here’s a screenshot from the tracker showing sites around NYC. https://platform.theverge.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/04/Screenshot-2026-04-16-100907.jpg?quality=90&strip=all]

AI Companies Are Trying to Hide a Staggering Amount of Debt

AI companies are pouring tens of billions of dollars into enormous data centers. They're being built on top of a mountain of hidden debt.

Data Center Watch

Free weekly updates on the political risks facing American data center projects

DOE Identifies 16 Federal Sites Across the Country for Data Center and AI Infrastructure Development

Energy Secretary Chris Wright acts to strengthen America’s energy dominance and leadership in artificial intelligence by leveraging federal land and assets

Cooperative Data Centers: Lessons from GAD eG | Platform Cooperativism Consortium

Tara Merk’s report uses GAD eG to show that power in AI does not sit only in data or code. It also sits in the buildings, servers, energy contracts, and ownership structures that decide who gets to…