Data Centers are America's Most Misunderstood Infrastructure Asset

We cannot champion a future driven by American innovation while simultaneously rejecting the very infrastructure required to power it. As communities across the country debate whether to welcome data centers into their communities, the facts highlight their critical role in powering economic growth and strengthening U.S. infrastructure. Policymakers and the public alike need a clearer picture of what data centers actually deliver: Jobs, tax revenue, grid investment and the digital backbone of America's artificial intelligence future. Walk into almost any state capitol or county commission meeting where a data center project is on the agenda, and you will encounter a familiar set of concerns. Too much water. Too much power. Too few jobs. Too little benefit for the surrounding community. These concerns are understandable. They deserve honest answers. But too often, the conversation stops at the objections and never reaches the evidence.

[Chip Pickering is CEO of INCOMPAS, the internet and competitive networks association.]