A new podcast season is examining how data centre expansion is affecting local communities across the United States.
The latest season of the Building Local Power podcast, titled The Data Centers Are Coming, launches today and focuses on the growing infrastructure behind artificial intelligence and its local consequences.
Hosted by Danny Caine, the series follows developments in areas experiencing rapid data centre growth, highlighting concerns around environmental impact, planning control and community wellbeing.
The podcast documents cases such as Northern Virginia’s Data Center Alley, where residents report ongoing noise disruption, and Tucker County, West Virginia, where concerns include water usage and environmental strain linked to new facilities.
Through interviews with residents, journalists and subject experts, the series presents the human impact behind large-scale technology projects, rather than focusing solely on the industry itself.
Danny says: “The data center story is as old or older than the 250-year history of America. It’s a story about repeating that history.”
The season also explores how legislative changes at state level are affecting local decision-making, with some communities losing the ability to regulate zoning, environmental standards and noise levels tied to new developments.
Alongside this, the podcast looks at the energy demands required to support artificial intelligence systems, including the role of on-site power generation and cooling infrastructure, and the resulting environmental pressures.
Another theme is community response, with the series examining how organised local groups are challenging large-scale developments and raising awareness of their impact.
The Data Centers Are Coming is available now, with new episodes forming part of the Building Local Power podcast’s ongoing coverage of economic and community issues.
