Brockovich Calls Out Lack of Transparency in U.S. Data Center Construction

Erin Brockovich Sets Her Sights on a New

Target Have you heard of environmental activist Erin Brockovich? She gained global fame in the late 1990s for spearheading a legal battle against Pacific Gas and Electric Company (PG&E) over groundwater contamination in California. Her real-life story became the basis for the Hollywood movie starring Julia Roberts. Now, Brockovich has taken on a new mission, targeting the “dark side” of the rapidly expanding construction of data centers.

Mapping Data Centers Across the U.S.

Brockovich recently launched a website mapping data centers across the United States. The site is built on reports from residents of communities affected by data center construction and is labeled as a “work in progress.” After Brockovich began soliciting reports about data center-related issues in April 2026, approximately 4,000 submissions poured in during the first month alone. While the sheer number of responses was striking, Brockovich emphasized a recurring keyword that emerged from these reports.

Residents’

Biggest Fear: Lack of Transparency “More than noise issues, more than water usage, more than rising utility costs, there’s one word that keeps coming up in the submissions—‘transparency,’” Brockovich stated in a post on her Substack. The most critical issue, she noted, isn’t the physical impact of data center construction but the residents’ distrust of the decision-making process itself. Specifically, concerns have been raised about projects being announced only after permits have already been approved, developers failing to respond to community inquiries, and local government officials signing non-disclosure agreements (NDAs) before nearby residents are even aware of the projects.

Not Opposed to Data Centers Themselves

Brockovich has clarified her stance: “I’m not opposed to data centers as a whole, nor am I against AI.” The issue lies in the systemic pattern of pushing forward construction projects without adequately communicating with local communities. With the rapid proliferation of AI technology, the global demand for computational infrastructure has skyrocketed. Massive data centers are being built to process enormous amounts of data, train large language models, and handle inference workloads. While this trend may be unstoppable, Brockovich highlights the persistent neglect of community dialogue during the construction process.

The Intersection of Environment and

Technology Data centers consume vast amounts of electricity and water. Their cooling systems require significant water usage, and their servers demand a continuous supply of power. The impact of these resources on local communities is far from negligible. However, Brockovich’s core concern goes beyond the environmental impact itself. She raises a fundamental question: Can the development of large-scale infrastructure projects proceed without the knowledge or consent of local residents, while authorities withhold information from the public in collaboration with developers? As the tech industry continues its explosive growth, the demand for data centers shows no signs of diminishing. Brockovich’s efforts underscore the importance of creating mechanisms to ensure that community voices are meaningfully included in these processes.