Erin Brockovich launches map to track US data centers

Environmental activist Erin Brockovich has launched a nationwide initiative to increase transparency around the rapid expansion of data centers, citing widespread community concerns over secretive development practices. The centerpiece of the effort is an interactive, crowdsourced map that tracks data center projects across the United States.

The website, which Brockovich describes as a work in progress, aggregates reports from residents living near data center facilities. After issuing a public call for submissions in April, the project received nearly 4,000 reports within the first month, with submissions coming from nearly all 50 states. Texas has submitted the highest number of reports, with several hundred focused on a large proposed development in Sulphur Springs.

Brockovich stated that the most frequent concern expressed in the submissions is a lack of transparency, a issue cited more often than specific worries about noise, water usage, or rising utility bills. Residents repeatedly used terms like "silenced," "secretive," and "back door deals," describing scenarios where projects were announced only after permits were secured, developers were unresponsive, and local...