PG&E Nemesis Erin Brockovich Tilts at New Windmill — Energy-Intensive AI Data Centers

The environmental activist who helped win a landmark water contamination lawsuit against Pacific Gas and Electric Company, Erin Brockovich, is now taking up a new cause: artificial intelligence data centers, which are rapidly spreading across the country. In an effort to hold AI data center developers accountable amid their rapid expansion, Ms. Brockovich has launched an online reporting map that allows residents to flag new projects and raise concerns about their impacts on local infrastructure and the environment.The project, Brockovich AI Data Center Reporting, identifies several key concerns accompanying the growth of AI data centers: the consequences of high energy consumption on the environment and costs for surrounding communities, potential strain on local water supplies — large data centers consume significant amounts of water to cool buildings and equipment, and constant noise from cooling systems and generators.“This new map is intended to give us all a bird’s-eye view. It shows where these centers are operating, where they’re being built, and where communities like yours are already raising alarms,” Ms. Brockovich wrote in a blog post announcing the site. “Go look at it. Report your concerns. Because the first step to protecting your community is knowing what’s in it.” The site went live at the end of April and has already drawn more than 2,700 location reports in 49 states. The majority come from residents flagging concerns about water use and electricity as well as concerns about excluding public input before communities granted construction permits.“Reoccurring phrases and words included in comments are; silenced, ignored, secretive, back door deals, NDA, not seen and not heard; along with concerns of rising utility bills, sick animals, health concerns and declining property values,” Ms. Brokovich shared on Facebook on Sunday.Powering AI requires enormous amounts of electricity, and the rise of the technology has set off an explosion in demand for new facilities. More than 4,200 data centers are currently operating across America, with thousands more in the pipeline, according to Data Center Map. While most existing data centers are concentrated in urban areas, nearly 70 percent of new developments are headed for rural communities. Last week, Google announced it was building a new center at New Florence, Missouri, which had a population of 641 in 2020. Google said responsible investment will increase local infrastructure capacity, expand energy affordability programs, and fund thousands of jobs.The current administration has prioritized accelerating AI development by streamlining the permitting process and cutting regulatory red tape. In February 2025, EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin called AI “the next great American Frontier” and touted the agency’s rollout of the “largest deregulatory agenda in American history.” That has resulted in many data centers working on “Bring Your Own Energy” strategies, which would allow them to attach their own energy supply to the power grid to reduce the draw away from consumers and ensure reliability. Still, nearby residents are less than enthusiastic. According to a Gallup poll from March, seven in 10 Americans said they oppose the construction of new data centers in their area. Several communities, including Otoe County, Nebraska; Clark County, Georgia; and Baltimore City, Maryland, are now considering or have adopted legislation to place moratoria on data centers. At least 14 states are also weighing their options, fearful of rising electricity prices and limits on renewable fuels to feed the facilities.Ms. Brockovich built her career advocating for local communities against major corporations. She rose to prominence in the 1990s after securing a landmark settlement for residents of Hinkley, California, who suffered widespread illness after a Pacific Gas & Electric pipeline discharged a carcinogenic compound into their water supply.“I’ve spent decades fighting for communities left in the dark about the very pollution destroying their health,” Ms. Brockovich wrote. “They had no idea they were being poisoned. When they asked questions, they were told that what was happening in their water, their air, their soil was fine. It wasn’t fine then. And what’s happening right now, town by town across this country, deserves the same scrutiny.”

PG&E Nemesis Erin Brockovich Tilts at New Windmill — Energy-Intensive AI Data Centers

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