Erin Brockovich launches US data center map: “I’m watching you”
Environmental activist Erin Brockovich has introduced a detailed map tracking the proliferation of data centers across the US.
The iconic US paralegal has joined the fight by American communities against data centers powering AI, as concerns over their environmental impacts rise.
The map, available on Brockovich’s website, highlights major AI-focused and hyperscale data centers running AI workloads, along with over 2,700 community reports.
Brockovich says the map captures the real-world footprint of the race to build AI infrastructure in American towns, revealing patterns of “growth, conflict, and uncertainty.”
“I am watching as YOU, the communities, show up and speak out. In the famous words of Mark Twain … ‘The secret of getting ahead is getting started,’ so let’s go!” she is quoted on the website.
Brockovich is best known for a landmark case against Pacific Gas and Electric Company in 1996, in which the company was found guilty of contaminating drinking water in Hinkley, California.
The case was dramatized in the Oscar-winning movie Erin Brockovich in 2000, starring Julia Roberts as Brockovich.
Most Americans oppose data centers
The map comes as Americans are increasingly skeptical of AI and the data centers that power it.
According to a recent Gallup survey, 71% of Americans oppose the construction of AI data centers in their local area, making them even less desirable neighbors than nuclear power plants.
Concerns are often centered on high energy consumption. In 2024, data centers accounted for more than 4% of America’s total electricity use, and are estimated to exceed 9% by 2030.
Data centers’ infrastructure requires constant improvements, such as new high-voltage lines, and these costs are passed on to consumers while being deferred by data center operators through special contracts or incentive packages.
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The Donald Trump administration, along with leading AI companies and hyperscalers, signed the Ratepayer Protection Pledge in March 2026 to prevent electricity price hikes driven by data center energy requirements.
AI companies have pledged to build new generation resources and cover the cost of all power delivery. However, electricity costs are only one piece of the puzzle, as data centers are also known for their water consumption.
A data center in Fayette County, Georgia, was recently found to secretly draw 29 million gallons of water through two water connections the county didn’t know existed. It only came to light after area residents experienced abnormally low water pressure in their homes.
Brockovich’s map undoubtedly sheds light on the extent to which data centers consume land and natural resources, strengthening the case of those opposing them.
However, as protests grow, turning violent at times, US law enforcement agencies privately warn about emerging “anti-tech extremism,” a definition which experts say could be extended even to peaceful protestors.
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