3rd Annual Memphis Labor Council Picnic
Free Concert · Free Food · Overton Park Shell
Data Centers Are Coming.
The Fight Is How — Not Whether.
Data centers power everything you do online — and they've been around in some form for 80 years. Some change is inevitable going into the future. The goal isn't to stop them from being built. It's to make sure they're built responsibly — with rules that protect our water, our air, our power bills, and our neighborhoods.
What Is a Data Center?
Think of a data center as a giant warehouse full of computers instead of people or products. Every time you do one of these, your information usually travels to and from a data center:
How It Works — Imagine a Giant Library
- 1Instead of books, it holds thousands of powerful computers called servers.
- 2Those servers store information and perform calculations.
- 3High-speed internet cables carry information in and out.
- 4Huge cooling systems keep the computers from overheating.
- 5Backup generators and batteries keep everything running if the power goes out.
In simple terms: you make a request → the data center finds the information → it sends it back to your phone in seconds.
They've Been Around Longer Than You Think
ENIAC — the first general-purpose electronic computer — fills a dedicated room at the University of Pennsylvania with its own power and cooling. The first 'data center' in prototype form.
Banks, government and big companies build dedicated mainframe computer rooms — the recognizable ancestors of today's facilities.
The internet era. The term 'data center' takes hold as networked server rooms power the first websites.
Cloud computing explodes. Google, Amazon and Microsoft build 'hyperscale' centers the size of shopping malls.
The AI boom. Facilities grow to gigawatt scale — and land in communities like ours, including right here in Memphis.
5 Ways Data Centers Can Impact a Community
They don't produce smoke like old factories — but they use enormous amounts of resources. Here's what every neighbor should know.
Electricity
- •A large data center can use as much electricity as a small city
- •More power plants may be needed and the grid can be strained
- •If infrastructure isn't planned right, everyday ratepayers can end up footing the bill
Water
- •A mid-size center can use 300,000–500,000 gallons a day for cooling — about what 1,000 homes use
- •The largest facilities can use millions of gallons per day
- •Too many in one area can stress supplies — communities and farmers compete during droughts
Noise
- •Massive cooling fans run 24 hours a day
- •Nearby residents can hear constant humming and fan noise
- •Backup generator testing adds regular bursts of engine noise
Land Use
- •Data centers need huge tracts of land
- •Without careful planning, communities can lose green space, farmland and wildlife habitat
- •Zoning decisions made today shape neighborhoods for decades
Backup Generators
- •Most facilities keep large diesel (or gas) generators for emergencies
- •Testing and use can increase air pollution near homes and schools
- •Diesel exhaust affects air quality — this is where permits matter most
This Is Happening in Memphis
xAI's "Colossus" supercomputer facilities in South Memphis and Southaven ran dozens of gas turbines without Clean Air Act permits. In Jan 2026 the EPA ruled the turbines were not exempt, and the NAACP and Earthjustice sued — pollution that hit Boxtown and nearby Black neighborhoods hardest. The company now says unpermitted turbines won't all be removed until July 2027.
This is exactly why permits, oversight and community input matter.
Regulate — Don't Retreat
Regulation doesn't mean stopping data centers from being built. It means making sure they operate responsibly. Good rules can require:
- Environmental impact studies before construction
- Limits on water use
- Energy-efficient designs
- Use of renewable energy where practical
- Noise controls and sound barriers
- Proper stormwater management
- Emergency response plans
- Air pollution limits on backup generators
- Community input before approval
5 Questions Your Local Officials Should Ask
A city may welcome the investment and tax revenue — but officials owe the community answers first:
- 1Can our electrical grid handle it?
- 2Do we have enough water?
- 3Will nearby neighborhoods be affected?
- 4How many permanent jobs will it actually create?
- 5What benefits will the community receive in return?
The Bottom Line
Data centers are becoming as essential as highways and power plants were in previous generations. They power the internet and modern technology — but they consume significant electricity, water, and land. The goal isn't to stop them. It's to make sure they're built responsibly: protecting residents, conserving natural resources, and making sure communities benefit from technological growth without sacrificing their health, safety, or quality of life.
Fact-Checked · Sources
- • U.S. Dept. of Energy / Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, U.S. Data Center Energy Usage Report (2024–2025 updates)
- • Brookings Institution & EESI — AI data centers and water consumption
- • Reuters, The Guardian & Earthjustice — xAI Colossus Memphis/Southaven coverage and NAACP Clean Air Act lawsuit (2025–2026)
- • Data center history: IBM, Data Center Knowledge — ENIAC (1946) to hyperscale
