{"id":6103,"date":"2026-07-14T17:01:59","date_gmt":"2026-07-14T21:01:59","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/weact.org\/?post_type=program&p=6103"},"modified":"2026-09-18T13:25:24","modified_gmt":"2026-09-18T17:25:24","slug":"data-centers","status":"publish","type":"program","link":"https:\/\/weact.org\/es\/programs\/data-centers\/","title":{"rendered":"Data Centers & Environmental Justice"},"template":"","class_list":["post-6103","program","type-program","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","program_tax-data-centers"],"acf":{"details":{"featured_image":6072,"program_type":false,"abstract":"Data centers hold technology infrastructure used for digital storage, communication, and to process computing demands for other programs. While data centers have existed for decades, hyperscale data centers hold tens of thousands of servers and have drawn national attention due to using far more power and water than traditional data centers. Hyperscale data centers and similar facilities are being constructed and operated across the U.S. at an accelerating rate, largely linked to investments in Artificial Intelligence (AI). This is often happening without considering impacts on host communities, and\/or without their consent or knowledge."},"page_layout":[{"acf_fc_layout":"layout_hero_links","acfe_flexible_toggle":"","component_hero_links":{"title":"","abstract":"","links":null}},{"acf_fc_layout":"layout_image_and_text","acfe_flexible_toggle":"","component_image_and_text":{"image":6119,"title":" A New Chapter of Environmental Injustice","align":"left","abstract":"There are an estimated <\/span>4,000 data centers in the U.S<\/b><\/a>. Highest amounts are in Texas, California, and \u201cData Center Alley\u201d in northern Virginia. These energy- and resource-intensive, polluting facilities contribute to environmental, health, and economic burdens for communities of color and low-income. These communities are often already dealing with decades of health harms from existing toxic polluting sources, such as power plants and highways, as well as general underinvestment and lack of resources.\u00a0<\/span>\r\n\r\n\u201cAll communities deserve to have a say in what is being built in their backyards, especially for environmental justice communities facing a legacy of dangerous facilities polluting their neighborhoods. This is even more important now as harmful, undemocratic practices are being employed in the build-out of data center projects, such as using non-disclosure agreements that keep communities in the dark.\" <\/strong><\/em>- Yosef Robele, Federal Policy Manager, WE ACT for Environmental Justice","button":{"title":"Learn More ","url":"https:\/\/ejforum.org\/data-centers-environmental-justice\/","target":""}}},{"acf_fc_layout":"layout_image_and_text","acfe_flexible_toggle":"","component_image_and_text":{"image":6097,"title":"WE ACT's Data Center Environmental Justice Principles","align":"right","abstract":"WE ACT developed key principles to use as a benchmark in data center policy. <\/b>Environmental justice demands that data centers must uphold principles of transparency, environmental sustainability, and human health protection. Construction and operation of data centers must incorporate comprehensive democratic processes that center equity, transparency, and environmental protection for impacted communities.\u00a0<\/span>\r\n\r\nSiting, construction, and operation of data centers must follow these <\/b>principles:<\/strong>\r\n