Summary (tl;dr)

Environmental activist Erin Brockovich has launched a new crowdsourced map and website aimed at increasing transparency around data center development across the United States, empowering communities to report concerns about these facilities.

Essential Background

Erin Brockovich, known for her environmental activism, particularly a landmark legal battle against Pacific Gas & Electric, is now focusing on the rapid expansion of data centers that power artificial intelligence (AI). The proliferation of these facilities across the U.S. has often been met with a lack of transparency, leaving local communities uninformed about their development and potential impacts. Residents have expressed feeling "silenced, ignored, secretive, and not seen and not heard" as projects move forward without meaningful public input. Concerns primarily revolve around the significant consumption of water and electricity, rising utility costs, increased noise pollution, and potential health effects associated with these large-scale operations. Some projects have reportedly been advanced under non-disclosure agreements (NDAs) or misidentified as generic warehouses, further obscuring their true nature from the public.

The Full Story

Erin Brockovich has recently launched BrockovichDataCenter.com, a new website featuring a crowdsourced map that tracks operational, under-construction, and proposed data centers across the United States. This initiative follows an April request from Brockovich for public input on nearby data centers, which quickly generated nearly 4,000 submissions. The map serves as a public resource, highlighting what Brockovich describes as a pattern of non-transparent development where communities are often left unaware of the full scope and potential effects of data center projects. Her effort aims to foster greater accountability from developers and public officials by providing accessible information, thereby empowering residents to understand and challenge projects in their vicinities. As of late May 2026, the map included 33 operational data centers, 53 under construction, 34 proposed, and over 3,600 community-reported concerns nationwide.

Why It Matters

This trend is significant because it brings a national spotlight to the growing tension between the accelerating demand for AI infrastructure and the rights of local communities to transparency and informed consent regarding developments in their areas. Data centers require immense resources, and their unchecked growth can strain local water and energy supplies, contribute to higher utility bills for residents, and increase noise and electronic waste. Brockovich's map provides a crucial tool for public engagement, enabling residents to share experiences, compare data, and advocate for earlier disclosure and greater accountability from corporations and government bodies. It underscores how the "race to build AI infrastructures" can have profound and often unacknowledged impacts on the daily lives and environmental health of communities across the country.

Geographic Location

• United States (launch of crowdsourced data center map)
• Sulphur Springs, Hopkins County, Texas, United States (community opposition and lawsuits against a large data center project)