Data centers are booming in the US. Erin Brockovich is tracking them.

Environmental activist Erin Brockovich is looking to create more transparency around the United States' data center boom with a new, trackable website.

In April, Brockovich launched a website called Brockovich AI Data Center Reporting, which allows Americans to report issues they encounter with data centers in their communities. The physical facilities house computer infrastructure, such as servers, networking equipment and supporting systems.

Since its launch on April 27, more than 3,600 AI data centers have been cataloged on Brockovich's interactive map, which allows users to see operational facilities, those under construction and those that have been proposed.

"I have spent my career listening to the people, especially those who were told to sit down and be quiet, who were told their backyard was safe and that the water was safe to drink," Brockovich wrote in a May 27 Substack. "So when I started hearing from people about AI data centers appearing in their communities with little to no notice, I paid attention."

Brockovich, 65, is a paralegal, consumer advocate and environmental activist. She is the subject of the 2000 film, "Erin Brockovich," starring Julia Roberts and notably helped settle a landmark case against Pacific Gas and Electric Company for contaminated drinking water in California in 1996.

As artificial intelligence continues to bloom, facilities to house the hardware behind the tech are necessary. But across the country, their construction is being met with resistance. In May, global analytics consultant Gallup reported 70% of Americans oppose the construction of data centers in their communities, with 48% in "strong opposition."

Environmentalists like Brockovich and anti-AI activists argue that data centers drain energy and water sources, pollute air quality, cause noise disruption for nearby residents and create a disproportionate number of temporary jobs. In an effort to keep better tabs on the ever-growing number of data centers being constructed across the country, some states are cracking down on regulations of the facilities.

On the flip side, AI advocates say data centers are necessary for continued growth within the industry, and they advance technological innovation, provide high-paying jobs and benefit local economies.

What are data centers?

Data centers are the physical infrastructure of the internet. Data centers house computer infrastructure, such as servers, networking equipment and supporting systems, which keep digital services running, according to the World Resources Institute.

Data centers were first constructed in the 1990s, with the emergence of the internet. But in recent years, the facilities have been opening at a faster pace.

How many data centers are there in the United States?

There are more than 4,300 data centers across the United States, according to the global data center directory Data Center Map.

What state has the most data centers?

Deemed the "data center capital of the world," Virginia is home to the most data centers in the United States, with more than 600 in operation, according to Data Center Map. Texas follows, with more than 460.

How do data centers affect the environment?

Environmental organizations have pointed out numerous ways data centers affect the communities around them. Here's a closer look at how:

Energy and water consumption

In 2023, data centers consumed 176 terawatt-hours of electricity in the United States, accounting for more than 4% of the country's total electricity consumption that year, according to the U.S. Department of Energy’s Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory. For reference, 176 terawatt-hours could power 16 million average American homes for a year, according to SolarTech, an El Cajon, California-based solar energy company.

When it comes to water, data centers require a lot to keep them cool. Large data centers can consume up to 5 million gallons of water in one day, according to the Environmental and Energy Study Institute. This is equivalent to the water use of a town populated by 10,000 to 50,000 people.

The water used to keep data centers from overheating can come from various sources, including surface water and groundwater, municipal water and purified reclaimed water, according to the Environmental and Energy Study Institute. About 80% of the water that data centers withdraw evaporates, with the remaining water discharged to municipal wastewater facilities, per the institute.

Electronic waste

Data centers create a sizeable amount of electronic waste, or e-waste. When computer hardware is replaced, the old technology should be recycled; however, according to the technology social enterprise Human-I-T, only 22.3% of the world's e-waste is properly collected and recycled.

E-waste is toxic and not biodegradable. Electronic waste may expose humans and the environment to lead, mercury, arsenic, flame-retardant chemicals and other contaminants, according to the Geneva Environment Network.

Noise pollution

Data centers are also noisy. Humming cooling systems, rumbling diesel generators and whirring fans can be heard hundreds of feet around them 24/7, according to the Environmental and Energy Study Institute.

Folks who live close to data centers have reported headaches, vertigo, nausea, sleep disturbances, ear pain and hypertension, the institute website says.

How many jobs does a data center create?

The amount of permanent, non-construction jobs created by a data center depends on a facility's size. But from 2017 to 2023, data center employment increased by more than 50%, according to a national auditor, PwC, reported for the Data Center Coalition.

A 2025 review of more than 1,200 U.S. data centers by Business Insider found that, on average, a data center employs 150 workers. Some have as few as 25 employees. And the pay can be quite lucrative, with technical salaries ranging anywhere from $78,000 to $134,000, according to Indeed.

An influx of jobs means a direct impact on local economies. Making money at the local, state and national levels, the data center industry's contribution to government finances increased by 146% from 2017 to 2023, according to the PwC report.

Greta Cross is a national trending reporter at USA TODAY. Story idea? Email her at [email protected].