Erin Brockovich Takes Aim at Data Center Secrecy

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Environmental activist Erin Brockovich, renowned for her high-profile case against Pacific Gas & Electric, has set her sights on a new target: the opaque world of data center construction. Her mission is to shed light on the impact of these facilities on surrounding communities and the lack of transparency that often accompanies their development. Brockovich has recently launched a website featuring a map of data centers across the United States, which she describes as a 'work in progress.' The map is populated with data centers reported by members of the surrounding community.

In a Substack post, Brockovich revealed that after issuing a call for reports of data center-related issues in April, she received nearly 4,000 submissions in the first month alone. The concerns expressed in these submissions are varied, but Brockovich notes that one issue stands out above the rest. 'The single most common concern — more than noise, more than water usage, more than rising utility bills — is the one word that keeps appearing in submission after submission: transparency,' she wrote.

Brockovich emphasizes that her criticism is not directed at data centers or AI in general, but rather at the troubling patterns she has observed. 'I'm not making a blanket argument against data centers' or AI, she said, 'but rather against the pattern our map documents: projects announced after permits are already secured, developers who don't return calls, local officials who signed NDAs before their neighbors knew a project was being considered.' By highlighting these issues, Brockovich aims to bring about greater accountability and openness in the development of data centers.