Why Community Benefit Agreements for Data Centers Matter. What Community Benefit Agreements for Data Centers Should Include. Data centers are becoming one of the most important pieces of modern infrastructure. They power artificial intelligence, cloud computing, banking systems, hospitals, e-commerce, streaming platforms, cybersecurity, and nearly every digital service people use every day. But as data centers become larger and more energy-intensive, communities are asking se

Why the future of data centers is smarter, greener, and more important than ever. Most people don't think about data centers. Yet nearly every moment of modern life depends on one. When you ask your phone for directions, stream Netflix, pay with a credit card, schedule a doctor's appointment, upload family photos, use ChatGPT, shop on Amazon, join a Zoom meeting, or even send a simple text message—you're relying on data centers working behind the scenes. Without them, the dig

Artificial intelligence is transforming the world, but behind every AI breakthrough is critical infrastructure. Discover how data centers, reliable power, fiber networks, and energy innovation are shaping the future of AI.

Artificial intelligence is changing the way we work, communicate, shop, receive healthcare, and run businesses. But behind every AI model is something far less talked about: reliable power. Over the past few weeks alone, the industry has seen billions of dollars committed to new energy infrastructure dedicated to supporting AI data centers. Companies are investing in fuel cells, on-site generation, grid expansion, and renewable energy because one thing has become clear: Power

The conversation around data centers is changing. A recent New York Times feature on the proposed data center in Jay, Maine, highlights the concerns many communities have when a new project is announced. Questions about electricity demand, water use, environmental impact, and local infrastructure are valid—and they deserve clear, transparent answers. At the same time, it's important to recognize that the data center industry has evolved significantly. Today's facilities are f

Most people never think about data centers. You can't see them from your phone, your laptop, or your television. Yet almost every digital action you take depends on one. From the moment you wake up until you go to bed, data centers are quietly working behind the scenes to keep modern life running. So, what exactly is a data center? A data center is a highly secure facility filled with powerful computer servers, networking equipment, and storage systems that process, store, an

For years, data centers have been criticized for their energy use and water consumption. Those concerns were valid based on older technology. But the industry is changing faster than most people realize. Today, some of the world's largest technology companies are investing billions into designing data centers that are dramatically more efficient, consume far less water, and work alongside the electric grid instead of simply drawing power from it. The conversation is no longer

Separating the facts from the fears — and looking at the real benefits a responsible data center can bring to our community. There's a lot of conversation in Millville right now about data centers, and that's a good thing. Big decisions about our community should come with hard questions. We welcome them. But a lot of the discussion has focused on worries and worst-case scenarios, and not much on what a well-run, responsible data center actually brings to a town like ours. So

The biggest names in computing have pledged to replenish more water than their data centers consume by 2030 and they're investing real money to do it. Water has been one of the loudest concerns about data centers. The industry's response has been one of its most encouraging shifts: a wave of "water positive" commitments to put back more water than facilities take out. Google has pledged to become water positive across its data center operations by 2030, replenishing more wate

A new generation of "bring your own power" data centers generates electricity on site — meeting their own demand without raising neighbors' bills. For years the worry about data centers was simple: a giant new electricity user plugs into a strained grid and everyone else's bills go up. A fast-growing model flips that concern on its head. It's called behind-the-meter, or "bring your own power." Instead of relying entirely on the public grid, the facility generates electricity

Data centers get headlines for how much electricity they consume. The number that rarely makes the news is how fast they're getting more efficient. According to the International Energy Agency, the energy required to perform a single AI task is falling at a rate the agency describes as unprecedented in energy history. Hardware keeps getting faster per watt, models keep getting leaner, and the facilities housing them keep getting smarter. For perspective, the IEA estimates dat

The Future of Economic Development Starts With Reuse Across America, communities are searching for ways to attract investment, create jobs, and modernize aging industrial sites without sacrificing farmland or open space. The answer may already exist in the form of underutilized industrial properties waiting for a second life. This video highlights the vision behind The DeSantis Group Development Company's redevelopment efforts in Millville, New Jersey, where a former industri

The most sustainable site for a data center may be one that's already been used. Instead of paving farmland or clearing habitat, brownfield redevelopment takes contaminated, underused industrial land and gives it a productive second life — often improving the environment in the process. It's the model behind A1 Data Center's Millville campus, which is reclaiming a former glass manufacturing facility: reusing existing structures and power infrastructure, remediating contaminat

A data center produces heat. For decades that heat was simply rejected into the air wasted. A growing movement is changing that, turning a byproduct into a community resource. Through district energy networks, the warm water a facility generates can be captured and piped to heat nearby homes, greenhouses, and businesses. Industry analysts describe waste-heat recovery as a credible way to reframe data centers as community-aligned infrastructure that strengthens local energy ef

Data centers built a reputation for draining millions of gallons of drinking water through evaporative cooling towers. That reputation is now a generation behind the technology. The newest facilities use closed-loop and liquid cooling — sealed systems that circulate coolant continuously instead of evaporating water away. According to the World Economic Forum, advanced liquid immersion cooling can reduce water consumption by as much as 91% and energy use by roughly half compar