Green the Grid: Data Center Spotlights
The Problem
Data centers are growing rapidly across America, many of which are guzzling local water, straining power grids, polluting neighborhoods, and shutting communities out of the decision-making process.
Our elected officials should demand transparent reporting on energy and water use, environmental consequences, and compliance with regulations. True accountability is the first step toward change.
North Carolina is handing out massive tax breaks to companies like Amazon and Apple while communities see little benefit. Data centers create few long-term jobs, aren’t required to hire locally, disrupt local neighborhoods, and drain public revenue–all with little to no accountability.
Credit: Todd Sumlin, The Charlotte Observer
Maiden Data Center:
- Est. 2014
- Located in Maiden, North Carolina
- The campus spans ~1 million square feet
- ~$4 billion invested into the facility
- Apple plans to invest another $175 million to expand its campus
- Claims the site is powered completely by renewable energy, using solar and biogas
Northern Virginia, the nation’s data center capital, faces strained energy grids as tech giants expand AI infrastructure. In 2023, Amazon proposed a 1.7 million sq ft data center in Louisa County, part of a statewide rush raising questions about oversight, permitting, and community costs.
Credit: Google Maps
Proposed Amazon Data Center Development:
- Located in Leesburg, Virginia
- Not yet constructed—seeking rezoning and permitting as of May 2025
- Paid $195 million for ~100 acres in Loudoun County. Just a year earlier, the Board of Supervisors rejected a nearby land request amid community opposition and concerns about limited power supply and grid strain.
The xAI Colossus facility in South Memphis operates on toxic methane-gas air turbines that pollute the community’s air while using 1 million gallons of water. While skirting oversight and regulations the facility continues to expand—pushing AI growth at the expense of community health and safety.
Join our Green the Grid campaign for more resources on how to push for data center accountability!
Credit: Greshman Smith
Colossus Supercomputer + Data Center:
- Located in Memphis, TN
- Est. 2024
- Home to the world’s largest supercomputer which is also a superpolluter
- Uses enough electricity to power ~100,000 homes
- Its methane-powered gas turbines increase smog by 30-60% due to nitrogen oxides and formaldehyde emissions, which are linked to respiratory and cardiovascular disease
- Aerial imaging alleges that as of July 2025, 35 methane turbines are operating, while only 15 have the legally necessary permitting
