Erin Brockovich Launches Collaborative Map of AI Data Centers to Gather Reports and Concerns

Erin Brockovich, a renowned American environmental activist made famous by the film starring Julia Roberts, has launched a new project dedicated to monitoring AI-related data centers in the United States. The initiative takes shape through the new site Brockovich AI Data Center Reporting, a platform designed to provide citizens "a space to talk and share concerns about the AI data centers in their communities."

At the heart of the project is an interactive map that shows major AI data centers already in operation, facilities under construction, and projects reported directly by users. Some of the reports concern structures that are merely proposed or hypothesized, so not all the points on the map correspond to operational facilities.

According to data published on the site, there have already been 2,716 reports, with the highest number coming from Texas. In particular, 612 reports come from this state, and a notable 297 are from Sulfur Springs, a location where MSB Global is developing one of the largest AI data center projects on the continent.

The company intends to build facilities with a total capacity of 3 gigawatts distributed across 30 buildings on approximately 1,600 acres of land. However, the project has faced strong opposition from the local community, in addition to several lawsuits filed by previous landowners and at least one resident. The main concerns expressed by users of the platform primarily involve water consumption, followed by electricity usage and public health impacts.

Large AI data centers require huge amounts of water for cooling systems, potentially putting pressure on the water reserves of surrounding areas. According to the Environmental and Energy Study Institute, the largest facilities can consume up to 5 million gallons of water a day, a quantity similar to that used daily by a city with a population between 10,000 and 50,000 inhabitants.

Data centers also require massive amounts of electricity, forcing utility companies to upgrade their infrastructure. Again according to the institute, the costs of these upgrades are often passed on to consumers through higher bills. Residents also fear potential problems related to air and noise pollution.