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Erin Brockovich’s new data center map crashed twice in 72 hours.

The environmental advocate says she woke up one morning to dozens of messages from residents from one Louisiana community describing similar problems linked to data centers near their homes. When she began investigating, she struggled to get clear answers about the projects.

That prompted her to launch a public map where Americans could report operational, proposed, and under-construction data centers in their communities.

The response was immediate. Brockovich says the website crashed twice within its first 72 hours, revealing that the complaints were not limited to one town, one aquifer, or one project.

The map has since collected more than 8,000 community-reported locations.

Many residents say they learned about nearby developments only after construction had already begun. Their reports describe concerns about water consumption, electricity demand, constant mechanical noise, land use, electronic waste, and pressure on local infrastructure.

The controversy highlights a less visible side of the artificial intelligence boom. AI may feel entirely digital, but it relies on enormous physical facilities filled with servers that produce heat and operate around the clock.

Keeping those machines running requires electricity, cooling systems, transmission infrastructure, and, in some cases, large quantities of water. These demands can become especially contentious in communities already facing strained power grids or limited water supplies.

Data center developers argue that the facilities can bring construction investment, tax revenue, and new infrastructure. Brockovich’s project is focused on a different question: whether residents are being informed early enough to understand and influence what is being built around them.

Learn more: "Erin Brockovich Explains Why She Started Mapping New Data Center Concerns." Newsweek