Erin Brockovich Advocates for Increased Transparency in Data Center Operations

Environmental advocate Erin Brockovich has initiated a new effort to improve transparency regarding the establishment of data centers and their impact on local communities.

Brockovich, best known for Julia Roberts’ portrayal of her legal struggles against Pacific Gas & Electric, has launched a website featuring a map that tracks data centers across the United States.

This map is described as a “work in progress,” continuously updated based on community feedback concerning data centers. In a recent Substack update, Brockovich shared that following local concerns raised in April, she received nearly 4,000 responses within the first month.

“The primary concern — surpassing issues like noise, water consumption, and escalating utility costs — can be summed up in one word frequently noted in the feedback: transparency,” she stated.

Brockovich clarified that she is not issuing a “blanket statement against data centers” or AI, but is focusing on “the patterns observed in our map: announcements of projects occurring only after permits have been issued, developers ignoring inquiries, and local officials signing NDAs before communities are informed about proposed developments.”