General Discussion

Yo_Mama_Been_Loggin

(137,056 posts) Sat May 9, 2026, 05:12 PM 1 hr ago

Data Centers Creep into Rural America

We don’t believe in subsidizing billion-dollar corporations to build rural data centers.

Developers are treating this like a modern gold rush – and just like back in the Old West, we’re often left with more fantasy than reality.

More and more, huge tech companies are turning to rural America – and our water and land resources – to build massive data center projects. And they’re getting huge tax breaks to do it.

Data center campuses are popping up everywhere – more than 4,000 in the U.S. so far – and they’re threatening to gobble up vast amounts of land, water, electricity, and other natural resources. At least 67% of planned or operation AI data centers have been cited in rural areas. That percentage is likely to climb even higher in the next few years.

https://onecountryproject.substack.com/p/data-centers-creep-into-rural-america

6 replies

= new reply since forum marked as read

Highlight:

Data Centers Creep into Rural America (Original Post) Yo_Mama_Been_Loggin 1 hr ago OP

I don't understand the need or purpose of these huge "data" centers. Are they to increase gov monitoring of the public? wcmagumba 1 hr ago #1

Very likely sakabatou 1 hr ago #2

Can you imagine what could be done if even half those data centers were hospitals, schools, or affordable housing? patphil 1 hr ago #3

Maybe that will take the starch out of rural America. Aristus 52 min ago #4

Local County Politicos need to use it for their advantage. Jacson6 41 min ago #5

Feeding the monster that will eventually destroy us all, just ask Musk. Maybe humans aren't all that intelligent OGBuzz 26 min ago #6

wcmagumba

(6,565 posts)

1. I don't understand the need or purpose of these huge "data" centers. Are they to increase gov monitoring of the public?

Reply to Yo_Mama_Been_Loggin (Original post)

Sat May 9, 2026, 05:18 PM

1 hr ago

sakabatou

(46,294 posts)

2. Very likely

Reply to wcmagumba (Reply #1)

Sat May 9, 2026, 05:19 PM

1 hr ago

patphil

(9,190 posts)

3. Can you imagine what could be done if even half those data centers were hospitals, schools, or affordable housing?

Reply to Yo_Mama_Been_Loggin (Original post)

Sat May 9, 2026, 05:21 PM

1 hr ago

We don't need 4000 data centers sucking up all the resources from the surrounding area.
We got along without them in the past, we can do without them now and going forward for the foreseeable future.
These things don't help people, they're just profit centers for tech boys and the ultra rich.
If I had to choose between AI projects and people projects....there's no doubt I choose people every time.

Aristus

(72,468 posts)

4. Maybe that will take the starch out of rural America.

Reply to Yo_Mama_Been_Loggin (Original post)

Sat May 9, 2026, 05:39 PM

52 min ago

Red-state morons who think big business can do no wrong, and so vote for the pro-business, anti-people politicians.

Let them deal with water shortages and water pollution. Maybe that will cool their hatred of environmentalism.

Jacson6

(2,156 posts)

5. Local County Politicos need to use it for their advantage.

Reply to Yo_Mama_Been_Loggin (Original post)

Sat May 9, 2026, 05:51 PM

41 min ago

They could make an agreement that the Data Center owner must provide free Internet in the county it is located in. Or maybe free Internet for everyone that is below the Federal Poverty line?

I received Internet for $10 per month for years when AT&T bought out another local provider.

Just a thought.

OGBuzz

(516 posts)

6. Feeding the monster that will eventually destroy us all, just ask Musk. Maybe humans aren't all that intelligent

Reply to Yo_Mama_Been_Loggin (Original post)

Sat May 9, 2026, 06:05 PM

26 min ago

after all. But hey, at least we get to choose between the millions of A.I. videos that are all over the internet. How did we ever manage to survive before all this wonderful technology?

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