Dangerous Data Centers

Introduction

Lawmakers, corporations, and local representatives are trying to convince the public that data centers are a bastion of commerce for their communities, but that is far from the truth. Amazon, Microsoft, Google, and Meta are the four main corporations building new data centers in neighborhoods (Mwaniki, 2026). These data centers are mainly being built to store information and further the growth of artificial intelligence (AI). Companies do not have to disclose where their data centers are located, but various groups, like Data Center Map and Cleanview, still try to track the general number in the United States. Texas and Virginia have the overwhelming majority of data centers. It is important to note that data centers are not new, but dozens of large-scale data centers being built near communities is new.

What are data centers?

Data centers are areas that store computer servers and other storage systems. Whenever you send an email, save something to the cloud, or use an AI bot, you are utilizing a data center. All data centers are not made equal though. According to Pew Research, hyperscale data centers typically house at least 5,000 computer servers (Leppert, 2025). These warehouse-sized data centers are usually used to store information in the cloud, cryptocurrency mining, and generative AI. Since data centers store tons of information, the buildings must be cooled to prevent the computers from overheating. We will discuss the cooling techniques in the coming paragraphs. In short, the data centers that are popping up are huge buildings that store digital information on a physical device.

Rise in Electricity

Hyperscale data centers love to guzzle resources. The power needed to run these data centers ends up raising electricity bills of those nearby. According to a Bloomberg analysis, electricity bills went up by as much as 267% for those living near a data center (Saul, Nicoletti, Pogkas, Bass, Malik, 2025). I likely do not need to remind you all that the cost of nearly everything is rising. Since wages have not increased with inflation, people are scrounging to survive. A spike in any bill could lead someone to homelessness. The rapid increase in electricity prices means that more people will likely be priced out of their homes. With more empty homes, corporations can make bids to buy the land and build more hyperscale data centers. If people do not act soon, hyperscale data centers will price people out of their homes.

Losing jobs

One argument for more data centers is the promise of jobs. There are some jobs that are created through building data centers. For a short time, there is an abundance of construction workers and engineers who make the building a reality. This construction can take several years, but there is no guarantee that it will be done by community members. These workers will likely bring revenue through hotels, restaurants, and shopping. But what about long-term jobs for people within the community? According to an NPR article, there are about 100 to 200 permanent jobs created once a data center campus is built (Bisaha, 2025). It is important to remember that data centers do not produce goods, so there is no reason for thousands of people to be in the building. In small communities, a few hundred people gaining employment might be helpful, but is it worth the health and sanity of the residents?

Polluting the air

Air pollution is a huge concern for people living near data center campuses. Despite all the warnings from scientists, we are still heavily reliant on fossil fuels for energy. In Northern Virginia, the electrical grid is mostly powered by fossil fuels. Since data centers require so much electricity, they emit a significant amount of air pollution because they run around the clock. This air pollution can lead to health risks including asthma and other respiratory issues, cancer, fertility issues, heart diseases, and even neurological disorders (Gour, Ortiz, and Maibach, 2026). As a disabled person, I am terrified by the idea of developing more ailments because a data center emits a ridiculous amount of pollution. That would mean spending more money going to doctors, buying medicine, and getting adaptive equipment. Those are simply funds that I do not have, and I should not spend because a data center is in my backyard.

Polluting the water

When I hear people talk about the harms of data centers, they always bring up water consumption and pollution. Data centers use a tremendous amount of water to cool down the servers. The water used to cool servers includes harmful chemicals that contaminate the water supply. Contaminated water could lead to adverse reactions like skin infections and diarrhea (Gour, Ortiz, and Maibach, 2026). Furthermore, these hyperscale data centers are often built in arid climates, and they need a lot of water to operate. Thus, areas near data centers are experiencing droughts, especially in warmer seasons. A 2025 Dallas Express article states that “[i]n San Antonio, two data centers used 463 million gallons in 2023 and 2024” (Galt, 2025). For part of 2025, Texas was in a prolonged drought. All the while, data centers were sucking up millions of gallons of water to cool down servers to power generative AI.

Profits over people

At the end of the day, the reason for this sudden push for generative AI and hyperscale data centers is more profits for corporations. Four major corporations want more money, and they do not care how their business practices affect the public. The CEOs of these corporations do not have data centers in their backyards. These people want more profits to fund their lavish lifestyles. In a similar vein, our elected officials continue to allow this because they are being funded by these corporations. States are giving tax breaks to multi-billion dollar companies to build huge data centers near neighborhoods (Mineo 2026). There were hundreds of people at the Red Oak, Texas city council meeting, and despite objections to the data center, officials chose to continue with construction (Ruby, 2026). I was one of the hundreds of people who were barred from entering the building due to fire code concerns. It was devastating to hear that my representatives chose temporary profit and comfort of the health and safety of the public.

Conclusion

Hyperscale data centers are a danger to communities. I implore whoever is reading this to do your own research into data centers. Many data centers are built near poor neighborhoods or near majority Black and Brown communities (Smith, 2026). Find out if there are any large-scale data centers being built near you. Use your voice and your creativity to raise awareness and fight against the building of more data centers. I did not know that an 830-acre hyperscale data center was being built in my backyard until I saw signs pop up in nearby neighborhoods. Officials will try to make deals quietly, so that you do not have time to organize against these things. Stay vigilant! There are cities and counties that have placed moratoriums on (or outright banned) building new data centers. I believe that together we can actually create positive change and stop the spread of data centers.

Dangerous Data Centers

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