Environmental activist Erin Brockovich is raising concerns about the rapid expansion of artificial intelligence data centers across the United States, arguing that many projects are moving forward with limited public awareness and insufficient community involvement.
Brockovich, whose environmental advocacy gained national attention through her work on groundwater contamination in Hinkley, California, said she has heard from thousands of residents worried about large-scale data center developments in their communities. The concerns, she said, extend beyond issues such as water use, electricity consumption and noise.
“The single most common concern—more than noise, more than water usage, more than rising utility bills—is the one word that keeps appearing in submission after submission: transparency,” Brockovich wrote in a May 27 post on “The Brockovich Report.”
According to Brockovich, residents frequently describe feeling excluded from decision-making processes involving major technology infrastructure projects. She said people have used terms such as “silenced,” “ignored,” “secretive,” and “not seen and not heard” when describing their experiences.
She recently launched a website that allows community members to report concerns about data center projects and view submissions from around the country. After issuing a public request for information in April, Brockovich said nearly 4,000 reports were submitted within a month. As of late May, the map included 2,716 entries representing communities in 49 states.
The growth of artificial intelligence has fueled a surge in data center construction nationwide. Large technology companies are investing billions of dollars in facilities designed to power AI systems, store data, and process increasingly complex computing tasks.
Among the projects cited by Brockovich is Meta’s planned Hyperion campus in northeast Louisiana, a 4-million-square-foot development that the company says will help expand the region’s technology sector.
Louisiana Gov. Jeff Landry praised the project in a statement, saying, “Meta’s investment establishes the region as an anchor in Louisiana’s rapidly expanding tech sector, revitalizes one of our state’s beautiful rural areas and creates opportunities for Louisiana workers to fill high-paying jobs of the future. I thank Meta for their commitment to our state.”
Other major developments include Google’s multibillion-dollar campus in West Memphis, Arkansas; Elon Musk’s expanding Colossus supercomputer operations in Memphis, Tennessee; Microsoft’s multibillion-dollar investments in Wisconsin; and Amazon’s Project Rainier facility in Indiana.
Supporters of data center development point to potential economic benefits, including construction activity, tax revenue, and technology-related jobs. Brockovich acknowledged those benefits can be real, noting that some communities have welcomed data centers after public discussions and negotiations.
“I’m not making a blanket argument against data centers or against the technology they support,” she wrote. “Some communities have welcomed these facilities after genuine public engagement, honest disclosure of impacts, and real negotiation of community benefits.”
However, she argues that residents should be informed before key decisions are finalized.
“What is not acceptable is the pattern our map documents: projects announced after permits are already secured, developers who don’t return calls, local officials who signed NDAs before their neighbors knew a project was being considered,” Brockovich wrote.
Speaking recently on “The Jim Acosta Show,” Brockovich said communities often feel projects are being “shoved down their throat in secrecy.” She contended that nondisclosure agreements and limited communication during early planning stages have fueled public distrust, Business Insider reported.
“There’s a lot of secrecy and NDAs at a very proposal stage,” Brockovich said.
The debate has intensified as concerns grow over the resources required to operate data centers. Brockovich’s supporters and other community advocates have cited issues including electricity demand, water consumption, environmental impacts, utility costs and quality-of-life concerns.
According to Brockovich, organized community opposition has already influenced local policy in several areas. She pointed to Monroe Township, New Jersey, where residents objected to a proposed data center project, and local officials later approved ordinances banning such facilities. Similar restrictions have been adopted elsewhere, including in Pemberton Township, New Jersey.
Opposition has also emerged in Utah, where a large proposed data center project backed by investor Kevin O’Leary has generated statewide debate. In response, Utah Gov. Spencer Cox recently unveiled a development framework aimed at addressing concerns related to water resources, air quality, utility rates and quality of life.
Meanwhile, some companies have adjusted their approach. Microsoft said earlier this year that it would no longer require nondisclosure agreements during the early stages of data center development.
“We’ve made the decision that being transparent with the communities where we operate or seek to operate is paramount,” the company said, per Business Insider. “This shift is about strengthening public trust, enabling better dialogue, and ensuring that our growth is matched by meaningful engagement.”
Brockovich said residents are not necessarily opposed to difficult conversations about development, but they want a meaningful role in the process.
“I’ve worked in communities for 30 years,” she said, according to Business Insider. “They handle the truth.”
As AI infrastructure continues to expand nationwide, Brockovich said transparency, public disclosure and community engagement should be central to discussions about future data center projects.
“Transparency means notifying residents before decisions are made, not after,” she wrote. “When a company the size of Meta or Amazon wants to put a billion-dollar facility in a town of less than 20,000 people, give the people who live there a seat at the table. It’s that simple.”
