Data center developer holds town hall in Venango County; YourErie.com, September 23, 2026

Jaxon Abele, YourErie.com; Data center developer holds town hall in Venango County

"In recent months, Keel Infrastructure, a digital and energy infrastructure company, has taken an interest in a small township near Clintonville in Venango County.

Eighteen months ago, the company bought a power plant in Scrubgrass Township along the Allegheny River, which was actively being used as a Bitcoin mine. Now, they aim to transform the site into a data center...

It’s a project that is still very much in its early phases. Brammer told us there is no official design for the center, but they hope to break ground in 2027 if the design is approved.

A permit has yet to be submitted, but the company is working on two other centers in Pennsylvania.

We asked people who live nearby what they think of the new development.

“I am concerned for the environmental impacts that this data center very well could have on the area. Personally, as a mother of two very young children — I’ve got a one-year-old and a three-year-old — and our health and wellbeing is my absolute number one priority,” said Carrie Worsk, Scrubgrass Township resident."

Americans’ views of data centers have turned more negative; Pew Research Center, September 22, 2026

BRIAN KENNEDY, Pew Research Center; Americans’ views of data centers have turned more negative

"Americans have grown more negative toward the possible environmental and economic effects of data centers since the beginning of the year. And a majority say they’d be uncomfortable if a new data center started operating in their area, according to a new Pew Research Center survey.

The survey comes as protests against new data center construction have spread, and as some state and local politicians have spoken out against data centers. Meanwhile, President Donald Trump has been a vocal supporter of data centers. 

More than half of Americans (54%) now say data centers are mostly bad for the environment, up from 39% in January. Half say they are mostly bad for home energy costs, up from 38%. And 49% say they are mostly bad for people’s quality of life nearby, up from 30%. The new survey was conducted from July 20 to Aug. 9 among 10,548 U.S. adults.

Just 4% of Americans think data centers have a mostly good impact in each of these areas."

Forward Twp. Meeting Canceled After Large Crowd Opposes Data Center; Butler Radio, September 25, 2026

Tyler Friel, Butler Radio; Forward Twp. Meeting Canceled After Large Crowd Opposes Data Center

"Forward Township canceled last night’s planning commission meeting after a large number of people attended in opposition of a proposed data center.

The planning commission had to reschedule their meeting after too many people showed up to safely fit into the meeting room in the building.

State Police, County Sheriff’s, and fire officials were all on location to inform the public the meeting could not happen due to safety concerns.

The data center has been proposed at the former Misty Hollow Farm on Prospect Road in Forward Township."

Steve Jones on the pros and cons of AI datacentres – cartoon; The Guardian, September 12, 2026

Steve Jones, The Guardian; Steve Jones on the pros and cons of AI datacentres – cartoon

As Trump pushes for data centers, voters in key midterm races say they don’t want them; NBC News, September 6, 2026

Jonathan Allen, Frank Thorp V and Marshall Crook, NBC News; As Trump pushes for data centers, voters in key midterm races say they don’t want them

An NBC News Decision Desk Poll found that 69% of respondents oppose building AI data centers in their areas, with 45% saying they “strongly oppose” the idea.

"Dawn Vogel, a Republican county supervisor in rural Buchanan County, Iowa, doesn’t have a lot in common with the leading democratic socialists in Congress. But on this bit of policy they agree: Data centers are proliferating across the American landscape too fast.

Vogel voted earlier this year for a moratorium that temporarily bans data centers from setting up shop in her heavily Republican county, which favored President Donald Trump 63% to 35% in 2024. In Washington, Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., and Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt. — the nation’s two most prominent democratic socialists — have proposed a similar moratorium that would cover the entire country.

“I don’t think this is a Republican or Democratic issue,” Vogel said on the sidelines of the Iowa State Association of Counties’ annual conference here in late August, adding that she hasn’t talked to a single voter at home who wants data centers."

The AI Backlash Gets Professional; The Atlantic, August 28, 2026

Matteo Wong, The Atlantic; The AI Backlash Gets Professional

"If there’s one thing America seems to agree on, it’s AI. Some three-quarters of Americans oppose a data center being built in their area,three-quarters of Americans think AI will hurt their job security, nearly70 percent think the technology is advancing too quickly—the polls go on. Progressive and Republican candidates alike are bashing the tech industry to win primary elections. States and cities are halting plans for data-center development.

Yet in cloistered San Francisco, where I live, staffers at OpenAI and Anthropic are developing this same feared technology at light speed and pulling down compensation packages that stretch to considerably more than $1 million. Silicon Valley’s growth is largely unencumbered by regulation, and President Trump’s administration has if anything used its authority to speed the AI industry along. The divide between these camps—the majority of people in this country who simply have to deal with the technology as it’s rolled out, and the much smaller population of people with direct influence over it—is adefining feature of this era. And so I noticed when a small group, with ties to both the Bay Area and Washington, started making noise, insisting that the AI race slow down and the technology be overseen not by executives and engineers, but by the broadest population possible."

Democrats in key House, Senate races sign AI regulation pledge amid data center scrutiny; The Hill, August 26, 2026

 MAX REGO  , The Hill; Democrats in key House, Senate races sign AI regulation pledge amid data center scrutiny

"Eighteen House, Senate and gubernatorial candidates have signed a pledge to push for beefed-up regulations on the AI industry, as the rapidly evolving technology continues to impact Americans. 

The candidates, 17 Democrats and one independent — populist Dan Osborn, who is challenging Republican Sen. Pete Ricketts (Neb.) — agreed to back a five-pronged approach to artificial intelligence by signing the AI Pact."

Data centers’ ‘oh s--t’ moment; Politico, August 24, 2026

 GABBY MILLER and  OWEN DAHLKAMP, Politico; Data centers’ ‘oh s--t’ moment

"The intensifying late-summer backlash against data centers is inspiring panic among some corners of the tech sector — amid fears that the industry is mishandling a political crisis that will stretch into 2028 and beyond.

Those worries have deepened in recent weeks as politicians across the political spectrum embraced various curbs on data center construction, with Republican Texas Gov. Greg Abbott, potential Democratic White House hopeful Josh Shapiro and Michigan GOP Senate nominee Mike Rogers being among the latest to sign on...

“AI is going to be a massive issue for the presidential election in a way that technology has never been an issue,” a representative from a major AI company told POLITICO, adding: “Nobody wants to lose their job and they’re already feeling squeezed while these very, very rich people who are richer than anything we have ever seen in the history of Earth are making more. And I think people are sick and tired of that.”...

The swiftness and ferocity of the backlash has caught the tech industry on the backfoot, where it’s struggled to find an effective message that assuages voters’ worries that data centers will raise their power bills, hog their water supplies and blight the landscape. One result is the growing, bipartisan push for temporary moratoriums on data center construction, a cause that just months ago was mainly associated with progressive outliers like Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.).

The split inside the tech world is not hard to find.

“Some are viewing it as an ‘oh shit’ moment,” an AI industry advocate told POLITICO. “Others are brushing it off like it’s nothing, and those people have to get their heads out of their asses. This could go south for them, fast.”"

Ella Baron on AI and the drought – cartoon; The Guardian, August 23, 2026

Ella Baron, The Guardian; Ella Baron on AI and the drought – cartoon

Voters Aren’t Waiting for November to Try Ousting Officials Over Data Centers; The New York Times, August 19, 2026

 David McCabe, The New York Times ; Voters Aren’t Waiting for November to Try Ousting Officials Over Data Centers

As a backlash grows over data centers, more local officials are facing recall elections for their support of the computing sites.

"Some local officials have already lost their jobs in the face of data center concerns in regularly scheduled elections. Last year, two members of the Georgia Public Service Commission lost their seats amid concern about data centers’ driving up electricity prices. A Virginia state delegate, Geary Higgins, also lost his job last year after his opponent branded him “Data Center Geary.”

“People are standing up and saying, ‘Sorry, we don’t want these data centers in our communities for a number of reasons,’” Senator Bernie Sanders, the Vermont independent, said in an interview. “‘If you can’t have the guts to stand up to some large corporation, you should not continue serving in office.’”

Voters have little patience for politicians supporting data centers, said Amy Kremer, the chairwoman of Humans First, a conservative-leaning group promoting greater A.I. regulation. They will “step up and recall them and hold them accountable."

The Environmental Case Against Data Centers Is Misguided; The New York Times, July 25, 2026

Adam Mastroianni, The New York Times ; The Environmental Case Against Data Centers Is Misguided

"I empathize with the environmental opposition to data center construction, but the arguments are shakier than they seem. The battle over where A.I. data centers are being built is really a battle over what role A.I. should play in our lives. And that’s a battle that critics can win."

Data centers have united Americans of both parties in a shared hatred; The Washington Post, July 18, 2026

Shira Ovide , The Washington Post; Data centers have united Americans of both parties in a shared hatred

"Kyle Schmidt ticked through what makes him irate about the massive Google data center slated for construction about a mile away from his home near Sand Springs, Oklahoma.

He didn’t like that residents were kept in the dark about what would be built on a pristine tract of mostly forested land. He’s worried about the data center’s potential impact on the community’s water supply and on the dream home that his family moved into last year.

But Schmidt said what really bothers him is the powerlessness he felt as the project advanced and elected officials, Google representatives and bigwig data center backers belittled or misled people who raised concerns...

Opposition in both red and blue regions continued to build to the point where he has tracked about 65 state data center restrictions enacted since the start of 2025, and dozens of cities that have imposed temporary halts to data center development. This week, New York became the first state in the nation to impose a temporary pause on large new data center projects...

Tech giants and other data center backers have been caught off guard by the rapid rise of public opposition, arguing that the hubs are essential for modern digital services and to keep the United States ahead of China on AI."

‘We’re up against forces that have all the money in the world’: Erin Brockovich on her battle against AI datacentres; The Guardian, June 29, 2026

 Zoe Williams, The Guardian; ‘We’re up against forces that have all the money in the world’: Erin Brockovich on her battle against AI datacentres

"Some of the emails Brockovich gets from people near datacentres express genuine bafflement: “Why did I not know about this? How did this construction just start? Why am I now getting a notice from the city council that this has already passed when I didn’t even have a voice in it?” Others reflect concerns about the impact of the centres: “What about our resources? What’s happening to the water? Who’s paying for all this energy and am I going to foot that bill? What will the future impact on health be from these monstrosities? What’s going to happen to the wildlife?”"

Brookville council approves 180-day moratorium on data centers, water use; WJAC, June 23, 2026

 WJAC; Brookville council approves 180-day moratorium on data centers, water use

"As data centers become a growing point of controversy across the state, officials in Jefferson County are moving to limit potential impacts on local water resources.

Brookville Borough Council approved a 180-day moratorium that pauses potential data center development and blocks the use of borough water resources for those facilities. 

Officials said the decision came after they learned about two possible data center projects in Pine Creek and Rose townships.

Council members said each facility could require more than 1.2 million gallons of water per day."

Majority of US’s new AI datacenters to be built on drought-hit land; The Guardian, June 8, 2026

 Oliver Milman with data visuals by Andrew Witherspoon , The Guardian; Majority of US’s new AI datacenters to be built on drought-hit land

"A record-shattering drought has racked much of the US. But the artificial intelligence industry is pushing ahead regardless, with the majority of planned datacenters set to be built in drought-ridden locations, a Guardian analysis has found.

About two-thirds of upcoming datacenters, which typically require a large amount of water to operate, are set to be built in places that have been among the driest in the country over the past year.

Of 809 planned datacenters, 517 are in locations that have been in drought conditions throughout the past year, according to data from Cleanview and the federal government, which grades drought across four levels of severity. A similar proportion of existing datacenters are already situated in drought-affected areas."

Nashville Zoo tries to halt proposed data center over animal safety concerns; NBC News, June 5, 2026

David Ingram , NBC News; Nashville Zoo tries to halt proposed data center over animal safety concerns

"A nationwide backlash against artificial intelligence data centers has a new ally: the leopards of the Nashville Zoo.

The zoo, a popular destination in Tennessee’s capital city, is trying to block a proposed 69,000-square-foot data center from being built next door. The zoo says that the facility would be about 50 yards from some of its animals and that the noise could disturb its residents, including a leap of leopards that hail originally from Southeast Asia...

The zoo this week launched an online petition against the data center that, as of Friday, had more than 180,000 signatures and 25,000 shares on Facebook. The petition asks city leaders to intervene to protect “one of the most fragile and rare collections of animals in the country.”

Schwartz said he’s especially worried about noise from the data center affecting the breeding of clouded leopards, a vulnerable species that the zoo is working to conserve.

Courtney Johnston, a member of the metropolitan council whose district includes the zoo, said she was being inundated by messages from concerned residents. She said she had filed a zoning appeal and would ask the council to vote Tuesday on a data center moratorium.

“I’m getting phone calls. I’m getting emails. All of my social media. Text messages. The community is speaking,” she said.

It’s the latest example of data centers getting pushback in communities nationwide, as neighbors say they don’t want to live near them or object more broadly to the direction of the tech and AI industries. There’s been a bipartisan push for regulation, as well as lawsuits and opposition to tax breaks."

Brockovich AI Data Center Reporting

 Brockovich AI Data Center Reporting

""The RACE to build AI infrastructures is unfolding town by town across America. In some places, data centers are welcomed. In others, they are delayed, contested or abandoned altogether. This MAP captures the real-world footprint of that race — 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!

— Erin""

Erin Brockovich Asks Americans for Help as She Launches Data Center Map; Newsweek, May 25, 2026

Joe Edwards and Kate Plummer, Newsweek; Erin Brockovich Asks Americans for Help as She Launches Data Center Map

"Environmental activist Erin Brockovich is appealing to the public for help after launching a website to report data center concerns as the rapid expansion of AI-driven facilities across the United States increasingly clashes with local communities.

The appeal threatens to thrust an iconic anti-corporate activist into the heart of the battle to expand AI infrastructure at a time of growing public skepticism about the technology's impact on jobs, safety and the environment.

The website, brockovichdatacenter.com, lists several “key concerns” surrounding such data centers, including high energy consumption that drives environmental impacts and costs, substantial water use for cooling that can strain local supplies, increased e‑waste from frequent hardware upgrades, exposure to location risks such as natural disasters or geopolitical instability, growing scalability pressures that can outpace local infrastructure, and constant noise from cooling systems and generators that can disrupt nearby communities."

Carlow, Duquesne leaders to meet Pope Leo during Catholic higher education seminar in Rome; Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, May 24, 2026

MADDIE AIKEN , Pittsburgh Post-Gazette; Carlow, Duquesne leaders to meet Pope Leo during Catholic higher education seminar in Rome

"In addition to meeting the pope, the university leaders are scheduled to attend a session on ethics and artificial intelligence; visit the Basilica of Saint Mary Major, where Pope Francis is buried; and discuss immigration, Catholic identity and lifestyle with Vatican dicastery officials.

Humphrey expects the AI session to be enlightening. She thinks AI can transform education and the workforce in a positive way, but also believes it’s important to have conversations surrounding responsibility and environmental concerns.

“AI is changing the enterprise. It is changing how we teach, and it is creating, I believe, an opportunity to provide a higher level of learning,” she said."

Lawmakers push for AI data center moratoriums as more states consider projects; Deseret News, May 15, 2026

 Cami Mondeaux , Deseret News; Lawmakers push for AI data center moratoriums as more states consider projects

"A pair of progressive lawmakers in Congress are teaming up to push for a moratorium on the construction of AI data centers until nationwide safeguards are put in place — dividing members of their party as more states consider projects of their own. 

Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., and Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., introduced the Artificial Intelligence (AI) Data Center Moratorium Act in March, seeking a federal suspension of data center construction until national protections are put in place. Those protections, they say, should include assurances that the economic gains of centers will benefit workers rather than just Big Tech owners, the centers will not increase electricity or utility prices, or that construction will not harm surrounding communities or the environment.

AI and robotics are creating the most sweeping technological revolution in the history of humanity. The scale, scope and speed of that change is unprecedented,” Sanders said in a statement at the time. “Bottom line: We cannot sit back and allow a handful of billionaire Big Tech oligarchs to make decisions that will reshape our economy, our democracy and the future of humanity. We need serious public debate and democratic oversight over this enormously consequential issue.”...

Democratic Sen. Mark Warner of Virginia called the proposal “idiocy” when asked about a federal moratorium during an Axios summit in March. Warner warned that putting a pause on data center projects in the United States would only give adversarial nations such as China an advantage...

The debate comes as more states consider their own projects, including Utah, which just approved the construction of an AI data center in Box Elder County. That project has elicited widespread protests and pushback from opponents who worry the facility would threaten water resources in the area, particularly with the shrinking Great Salt Lake."