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America’s Data-Center Boom: Where They Are, Who Pays—and Who Profits

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From social media feeds and cloud backups to AI assistants, our “cloud” lives on the ground—inside thousands of water-hungry, power-intensive data centers. The U.S. now hosts by far the most data centers in the world—over 5,300, roughly 45% of the global total—far ahead of Germany and the UK. StatistaVisual CapitalistBrightlio – Technology Iluminated

As this build-out accelerates for AI, electricity demand is spiking, communities report higher utility bills, and local water supplies are strained—especially in arid regions. U.S. data centers used about 4.4% of national electricity in 2023 and could reach 6.7–12% by 2028, according to the Department of Energy and the IEA. The Department of Energy’s Energy.govIEA+1

Where the Big U.S. Data-Center Hubs Are (and who’s building)

Northern Virginia (Loudoun & Prince William Counties)

  • The world’s largest cluster—often called “Data Center Alley.” Loudoun County alone counts 25+ million sq ft in operation. Loudoun County Economic Development, VA
  • Expansion fights have intensified. In Aug. 2025, a Virginia judge voided the rezoning approval for the Prince William Digital Gateway—planned for 37 centers on ~1,700–2,000 acres—over notice defects, after years of resident pushback over noise, visuals, water, and power. The Washington Post
  • Industry political spending surged as the state weighed new rules; only 1 of 27 bills passed in 2025. Business Insider

Phoenix / Mesa, Arizona

  • A top-tier market in the desert; utilities and cities are now scrutinizing water as AI growth accelerates. CBREBusiness Insider

Dallas–Fort Worth, Texas

  • Construction underway could double the market’s size by 2026. CBRE

Columbus / New Albany, Ohio

Oregon (The Dalles; Hillsboro)

  • Google’s The Dalles: after a 13-month legal fight, the city agreed to disclose water usage records—a flashpoint for transparency around cooling-water withdrawals. Reporters CommitteeCourthouse News

Washington (Quincy)

  • Microsoft operates a massive campus; diesel backup generators and air permits have long been contested due to particulate pollution during testing/outages. State Ecology required health-risk assessments of diesel emissions. Washington State Department of EcologyEcology AppsWIRED

Utah (Eagle Mountain)

Tennessee (Gallatin, near Nashville)

  • Meta opened a large facility; AP/WPLN chronicled how residents near new suburban data centers worry about water demand, diesel emissions, and proximity to homes/schools as projects and new substations push into neighborhoods. WPLN News

South Carolina (Moncks Corner / Berkeley & Dorchester Counties)

  • Google has multiple sites; conservation groups have pressed for water-use disclosure and limits on new groundwater withdrawals. The county acknowledges Google will report annual site-level water usage going forward. Coastal Conservation LeagueDorchester County

North Carolina (Maiden / Lenoir region)

  • Apple’s Maiden data center helped pioneer on-site solar, biogas fuel cells, and a pivot to renewables—but debates continue over grid mix vs. corporate certificates. AppleData Center KnowledgeWIRED+1

Big picture: Primary U.S. markets—Northern Virginia, Phoenix, Dallas, Chicago, Atlanta, Silicon Valley, Columbus—are still expanding, with record-low vacancies and 70% more capacity under construction in 2024 vs. 2023. CBREReuters

What nearby residents report—and what the data shows

1) Higher utility bills & grid stress

  • Utilities are inundated by massive interconnection requests; even projects that never get built can drive expensive upgrades—costs often socialized to ratepayers. The Wall Street Journal
  • In Northern Virginia, >25% of all power already went to data centers in 2023; could reach ~46% by 2030, AP reported (via WPLN). WPLN News

2) Water withdrawals & rate hikes

  • Large centers can use up to ~5 million gallons per day for cooling—comparable to a town of ~50,000 people. AP News
  • Investigations show 40% of U.S. data centers are in high/very-high water-scarcity regions; several Southwest markets tightened rules as AI builds out. Business Insider
  • In Newton County, GA (Meta), local leaders warned of a water deficit by 2030 and 33% residential water-rate increases, according to coverage summarizing water-authority reports and interviews. sjdsGovTech

3) Air & noise pollution

4) Land use, heritage, and property values

  • The now-voided Prince William Digital Gateway plan would have industrialized land by Manassas National Battlefield Park, amplifying concerns over cultural resources and neighborhood character. The Washington Post

5) Jobs: fewer than promised?

  • Even giant facilities often employ fewer than 100 long-term staff; backers cite construction trades and tax rolls as benefits, while residents question trade-offs. WPLN News

Health, Equity, and Environmental Justice

  • Water stress and air pollution hit hardest in lower-income communities near industrial zones. AP and IEA warn that AI-driven build-out will double global data-center electricity demand by 2030, intensifying local burdens unless mitigations scale. IEAS&P Global
  • NAACP and local groups call for transparency, community-benefit agreements, and siting away from homes/schools. (Virginia’s 2025 session showcased the industry’s influence, even as local opposition grows.) Business Insider

Lessons from Tennessee: Land Taken, Health Broken—What’s real?

In practice, most data-center land is acquired via rezoning and private sales, not eminent domain. Still, neighbors describe feeling “forced out” by encroaching industrial uses, substation siting, and round-the-clock noise—especially in Northern Virginia and suburban Nashville. AP/WPLN’s reporting captures how quickly these projects move into neighborhoods, bringing air/noise issues and substation build-outs that alter daily life. WPLN News

Not all news is bad: mitigation that actually helps

  • Water reuse and air cooling: Quincy, WA and Eagle Mountain, UT now recycle process water for parks/industry, cutting potable demand. US EPAMicrosoft LocalEagle Mountain City
  • Transparency wins: The Dalles, OR ended secrecy over Google’s water data—public records will be released going forward. Reporters Committee
  • Planning: CBRE/Cushman data show more projects steering to grids with capacity (e.g., Dallas, Columbus) and adding on-site renewables/efficiency—though demand still outpaces supply. CBREReuters

Quick directory: Major operators & flagship U.S. sites

  • Meta — Gallatin, TN; Eagle Mountain, UT; New Albany, OH; Forest City/Prineville, OR (historical Facebook origin); expanding in multiple states. Community concerns: water, noise, substations; mitigations: reuse, efficiency, restoration projects. WPLN NewsThe Salt Lake Tribune
  • Google — The Dalles & Hillsboro, OR; Council Bluffs, IA; Berkeley/Dorchester Counties, SC. Ongoing debates on water transparency and withdrawals. Reporters CommitteeGoogle Data CentersCoastal Conservation League
  • Microsoft — Quincy, WA; Phoenix metro; Columbus, OH; Atlanta, GA; Dallas–Fort Worth. Long-running discourse around diesel emissions and grid impacts; some reuse projects in WA. Washington State Department of EcologyUS EPA
  • Apple — Maiden, NC; emphasis on renewables and on-site generation, though critics debate how “green” the grid mix is. AppleData Center Knowledge
  • AWS — Northern Virginia; Oregon (Boardman/Morrow County); Phoenix; Dallas; Columbus. Economic-development deals weighed against tax abatements and local burdens. WPLN News

For market-by-market data (vacancy, MW under construction, pricing), see CBRE’s North America Data Center Trends and Cushman & Wakefield’s Global Data Center Market Comparison. CBRE+1Cushman & WakefieldCushwake

What it means for families, farms, and small businesses

  1. Bills & rates: Expect longer interconnection queues and grid upgrades to flow through rates—especially where projects cluster. The Wall Street Journal
  2. Water security: In arid or fast-growing counties, data-center cooling can compete with households and farms unless cities require non-potable sources and reuse. Business Insider
  3. Air/health: Diesel generator testing and added power-plant dispatch can raise local PM2.5/NO₂, linked to asthma and heart disease; enforcement and cleaner backup are key. Ecology Apps
  4. Land & heritage: Without guardrails, farmland and historic landscapes can be industrialized overnight, depressing nearby property values and quality of life. The Washington Post

From “Peasants” to Protectors: A Community Checklist

  • Ask for the numbers (annual power draw and water withdrawals), in writing, and insist on public reporting. The Dalles case shows you can win transparency. Reporters Committee
  • Require non-potable cooling and reuse where feasible; don’t let drinking water bear the load. See Quincy/Eagle Mountain models. US EPAEagle Mountain City
  • Buffer zones from homes/schools; noise caps verified by independent testing. (Prince William convened noise-ordinance work after complaints.) Prince William County Government
  • Community-Benefit Agreements (CBAs): fund air monitors, well-testing, bill relief, and energy-efficiency upgrades for neighbors.
  • Cumulative-impact reviews before rezoning farmland/historic land; avoid piecemeal approvals that hide the true footprint.

Global context: Who has the most?

  • United States leads by a wide margin (≈45% of global sites), followed by Germany and the UK; total global capacity and power demand are projected to more than double by 2030, driven largely by AI. StatistaVisual CapitalistIEA

References & Resources

Disclaimer

This article summarizes public reporting, government documents, and market research to inform readers about data-center siting and community impacts. It is not legal, engineering, or financial advice. Conditions vary by site; consult local experts and primary documents when making decisions.

About the Author

A.L. Childers (Audrey Childers) is a Carolina-born journalist and author focused on health, environment, and corporate power. Her work—spanning books, essays, and The Hypothyroidism Chick blog—connects personal well-being with policy and place.