AI Data Centers Expand Nationwide Amid Community Opposition

Tech companies are building more than 4,000 data centers across the United States to support artificial intelligence initiatives. These facilities provide computing power for AI applications. Additional data centers are under construction in various locations.

In Archbald, Pennsylvania, a community of about 7,000 residents, developers have proposed a half-dozen data centers. The area previously relied on coal mining. Local residents have expressed concerns about potential impacts on the environment, electric utility costs, and the town's appearance.

A teacher and an ICU nurse run a neighborhood association in Archbald. The nurse said, "It is a really nice small town." The nurse said, "It's gonna just completely change the landscape. Anywhere there's trees, there's probably not going to be any any longer."

The teacher said, "We'll stop it if we could help it."

Resistance in Archbald At a March 10 borough meeting, residents held up signs reading "No data centers" and yelled at representatives of the proposed centers to "get out of here."

One project, an application for a campus of 18 data centers, has hit a roadblock. The opposition has influenced local politics. The nurse says, "We're not against AI data centers. But because the industry is so new and unregulated, it is concerning that if we just keep moving forward, we're gonna get to, like, a point of no return."

Developers select sites like Archbald due to availability of land, water, and power. Demand for these facilities remains high as tech companies expand AI capabilities.

Debates continue over the number of jobs and revenue generated by data centers, as well as effects on utility bills.