Across the US, farmers and ranchers are pushing back against AI data center construction. Their concern? These projects swallow up valuable cropland and compete for local water and electricity.
There are currently about 5,000 data centers already built or under construction in the US. Large facilities need flat, sprawling land near water and power grids — the same conditions that make for prime farmland.
Individual data centers can consume as much electricity as a mid-sized city. That has farmers worried about skyrocketing utility bills. Ranchers in drought-prone areas are also alarmed that when water runs short, agriculture will be the first to get cut.
Some 20 states are now considering restrictions on new data center developments. The tech industry counters that most facilities rely on air cooling and use far less water than farming — and that the tax revenue from data centers could even help freeze or lower local electricity rates.
But the most immediate flashpoint is land. Attractive buyout offers let aging farmers retire early, but once prime farmland is paved over for a data center, it's unlikely to ever produce crops again.