From the deserts of Nevada to Prince George’s County, Maryland, data centers are popping up everywhere and have become a hot topic connected to the environmental impact of Artificial Intelligence (AI) and the blockchain technology that powers cryptocurrencies, chatbots, and those random cartoon cat dramas flooding social media feeds.

While many argue that AI can offer efficiency and the ability to develop projects affordably and with less overhead, the increased usage of AI is a number one reason for the massive boom in the development of data centers to power the energy-intensive technology.

What are data centers?

Data centers are a large group of networked computer servers used for the remote storage, processing, or distribution of large amounts of data. They are usually housed in secure facilities that can be as small as a room in an office building to as large as the China Telecom Information Park, the largest data center in the world by area, spanning over 10.7 million square feet.

Data centers and the environment

While the designers of Telecom Information Park boast of their use of renewable energy and sustainable practices in the operation of the data center, the majority of data centers are powered by fossil fuels, like natural gas and even nuclear power. Data centers require a large amount of energy and water to keep the computer servers cool and in constant operation. A medium-sized data center can use about 300,000 gallons of water per day, which is equivalent to the daily water usage of 1,000 households. Residents and environmental advocates believe the increase in the development of large data centers is a leading cause of water issues, environmental pollution, and higher energy prices for communities living near data centers.

Community and health concerns

The Elon Musk-owned xAI data center in Memphis, Tennessee, has drawn national attention due to the health issues and concerns of residents in the nearby predominantly Black community of Boxtown.

The data center, which is used to power the Grok Ai chatbot, is powered by gas turbines that emit nitrous oxide and other toxic chemicals into the air. In July of 2025, residents battled it out against Musk arguing that the data center named “Collosus” did not have proper permits and was causing an increase in asthma attacks and high-risk air quality days for the surrounding communities.

How to find out if there is a data center near you:

Data Centers can be large or small and are often hidden right in our own neighborhoods and downtown districts.

Datacentermap.com is an industry tool used by investors, public agencies, and developers to locate registered data centers worldwide. They offer a free map that supports a marketplace for buying and selling digital services provided by the data centers.

Want to learn more?

MediaJustice is launching its latest report, “The People Say No: Resisting Data Centers in the South,” on September 17th from 5:30 – 7:00 PM ET / 2:30 – 4:00 PM PT. Please RSVP here to join the launch event. 

From MediaJustice:

“The South has long been a site of both corporate extraction and fierce political resistance. At a time when Big Tech is rapidly expanding data centers in Black, brown, and working-class communities that drain natural resources, energy, and clean water, our people are rising up and fighting back.“

MediaJustice’s new report, is the first comprehensive, regional analysis of data centers in the South, with original research and case studies from Louisiana, Mississippi, Tennessee, Georgia, and South Carolina. You’ll also hear from local organizers across the South about how data centers are impacting communities and how people are coming together to resist data center expansion. Please register here. 

References

Action News 5. (2025, July 16). Boxtown residents dispute claims that xAI has improved neighborhood blight. Https://Www.actionnews5.com. https://www.actionnews5.com/video/2025/07/16/boxtown-residents-dispute-claims-that-xai-has-improved-neighborhood-blight/

Chow, A. R. (2025, August 13). “We Are the Last of the Forgotten:” Inside the Memphis Community Battling Elon Musk’s xAI. TIME; Time. https://time.com/7308925/elon-musk-memphis-ai-data-center/

Copley, M. (2022, August 30). Data centers, backbone of the digital economy, face water scarcity and climate risk. NPR. https://www.npr.org/2022/08/30/1119938708/data-centers-backbone-of-the-digital-economy-face-water-scarcity-and-climate-ris

Crownhart, C. (2025, May 20). Can nuclear power really fuel the rise of AI? MIT Technology Review. https://www.technologyreview.com/2025/05/20/1116339/ai-nuclear-power-energy-reactors/

Data Center Map . (2025). Data Centers – Database. Datacentermap.com. https://www.datacentermap.com/datacenters/

Fung, A. (2025). Inner Mongolia leads way in green computing, data storage. Newsgd.com. https://www.newsgd.com/node_5c070fdd03/d32084c3c5.shtml

More Perfect Union . (2025). We Went to the Town Elon Musk is Poisoning . Youtube.com. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3VJT2JeDCyw

Reed, R. (2025, September 3). How data centers may lead to higher electricity bills – Harvard Law School. Harvard Law School. https://hls.harvard.edu/today/how-data-centers-may-lead-to-higher-electricity-bills/

Temple, J. (2025, August 17). “Massive”: The sprawling data center boom in the Northern Nevada desert. Las Vegas Review-Journal. https://www.reviewjournal.com/news/science-and-technology/massive-the-sprawling-data-center-boom-in-the-northern-nevada-desert-3422858/

University of Memphis Graduates. (2019, September 16). Boxtown: The Land of Broken Promises – StoryBoard Memphis. StoryBoard Memphis. https://storyboardmemphis.org/neighborhoods/boxtown/