Submission by Lynne M Taylor, American Policy Center

Author’s Note: It’s no longer “new news” that data centers are becoming a significant issue across America and globally. As long as economic gain is prioritized over public well-being, we can expect even more of these massive centers to be constructed. In my previous article, I explored some lesser-known dangers. This follow-up goes deeper, with fresh research and urgent new questions.

In regions where water is governed by state-run or state-approved private entities, personal control is limited. Even in rural areas with well water, drought conditions restrict usage. Over recent years, entire communities have faced water bans. So what happens when a data center starts competing for this limited resource?

This is no hypothetical. In Texas, it’s already happening. AI-driven data centers consumed more than 463 million gallons of water while local residents were asked to cut back on showers. Millions of gallons, lost to machines.

In my home county in North Carolina, a “water corporation” controls access and has a 2020 drought contingency planthat includes escalating fines for violations. While framed as drought preparation, the plan doesn’t exclude other water stressors like data centers. If corporate use triggers a conservation order, will citizens be fined for overuse that wasn’t their fault?

Another overlooked impact is vanishing farmland. Many data centers are built on agricultural land, often displacing crop production or livestock. In some cases, solar panels or nuclear facilities needed to power these centers also displace farmland. From 1997 to 2022, the U.S. lost 75 million acres of farmland.

What about buffer zones designed to protect farmland? In my town, a proposed data center site sits directly in such a buffer zone, threatening to undermine North Carolina’s farmland preservation program.

Texas currently leads the U.S. in farmland loss, with North Carolina second. At this pace, the state is expected to lose 1.2 million acres by 2040.

Nationally, the numbers are just as alarming. In only five years, 20.1 million acres of farmland disappeared. Ironically, experts estimate that to meet rising food demands, we’ll need 23 to 24 million more acres by 2030.

Globally, the picture is equally dire. Enough land to create two Germany-sized nations has already been ruined. While some advocate for “food sovereignty,” the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) describe the phenomenon as “food insecurity.” The UN’s Zero Hunger rankings show the U.S. and Australia both lagging behind in this critical area.

So we must ask: Do I want to eat, or do I want to power servers on former farmland?

If you’ve attended a community meeting, you’ve likely heard data center reps promise economic boons: money for schools, jobs, local growth. But beneath the surface, the costs—human, environmental, and economic—often go unmentioned.

Where I live, the sales pitch promised increased funding for schools. Yet only a fraction of that money—less than half a cent per $5—actually reaches classrooms. The rest is lost in administrative overhead and general city funds. Meanwhile, a local man-made lake has been flagged for potential cancer risks, but nothing in the pitch addressed healthcare impacts.

In 2024, the Washington State Dept. of Ecology released a report showing that diesel exhaust and nitrous oxide emissions from data centers were linked to heart and lung disease. A recent Caltech study estimated that by 2030, data centers would be responsible for 600,000 new asthma cases, 1,300 premature deaths, and $20 billion in healthcare costs.

In North Carolina, a suspected thyroid cancer cluster near Lake Norman prompted a study by the state’s Department of Health and Human Services in 2018. As of 2020, the study was still in design.

The Caltech study also highlighted Virginia, the state with the most data centers. It projected $220–300 million in annual public healthcare costs, with $190 million affecting surrounding states like West Virginia, Maryland, Pennsylvania, and New Jersey.

Let’s not forget another hidden cost: e-waste. Each server component has a lifespan of about five years, after which it becomes hazardous waste. According to UC San Francisco, e-waste releases toxic chemicals like lead and mercury, linked to cancer, neurological damage, and miscarriages. Marginalized communities near landfills face the greatest risk.

While the EPA has a partnership with the UN to manage e-waste, most of America’s discarded hardware is still shipped overseas, transferring the health burden to foreign workers and communities.

Before buying into the hype, ask yourself: What tax incentives are given to corporations building or using data centers? Will citizens receive any relief in exchange for enforced conservation or disruption? Will property values drop, and will local taxes rise? What happens if eminent domain is used to seize your land?

In Oregon, a town is already dealing with such consequences. Even as some expansions have been halted, the trend continues, especially at the federal level. In 2025, the Trump Administration issued an Executive Order to accelerate national data center construction.

The U.S. Department of Education has even issued a “Dear Colleague” letter encouraging increased use of artificial intelligence in schools, driving more data demand and more server farms.

Who profits? Not local small businesses. The HVAC, medical, and service contracts will go to corporations, not family-run shops.

So, at what cost will you say “enough”? What’s the price tag on our freedom, our farmland, our health, or the future of our children? While many data centers target low-income or rural communities, middle-class neighborhoods are next. As the corporate grip tightens, only public awareness and bold resistance can halt the monster moves being made in our backyards.