America’s AI boom is being built on more than code. It is powered by electricity, water, and land, at a scale few fully realize. Hyperscale data centers now rival small cities in their daily consumption, straining grids, draining water sources, and reshaping rural landscapes. Communities are starting to push back, regulators are scrambling to catch up, and Big Tech’s sustainability pledges are being tested against reality.

In our latest thought leadership piece, Johanna Kingsfield, Consulting & Advocacy Analyst at Pickering Energy Partners, examines the intensity of AI and data centers on energy, critical minerals, water, land, and local communities. The piece also discusses potential solutions Big Tech, local governments, states, and communities can consider. The path forward requires discipline and a strategic plan containing transparent resource use, enforceable permits, effective cost allocation linked to those creating impacts, and siting provisions that align with forecasted and efficient grid and water capabilities. These considerations and negotiations with affected communities is necessary to effectively balance the economic gains from AI and data centers with ensured affordability and reliability for impacted communities. With this balance, AI can develop into a resilient national resource.