Environmental activist Erin Brockovich launches U.S. data center map to increase transparency around construction and community impact

Brockovich recently launched a website with a map of data centers across the United States, described as a 'work in progress' that includes data centers reported by community members. After a call for reports of data center-related issues in April, she received nearly 4,000 submissions in the first month.

The most common concern from submissions is lack of transparency—cited more frequently than noise, water usage, or rising utility bills. Brockovich documented a pattern of projects announced after permits are secured, developers unresponsive to calls, and local officials bound by NDAs before neighbors learned of projects.

Brockovich emphasized she is not making a 'blanket argument against data centers' or AI, but rather targeting the secrecy and lack of community engagement surrounding their development.