How datacenters are tearing small-town America apart

For decades, administering small towns and communities in the US largely centered on zoning amendments, fixing roads and ensuring that trash was collected. But today, the emerging presence of datacenter developments is creating a vicious new divide between local administrators, who play an essential role in rural America, and the residents they are elected to represent. In small towns across the US, residents are accusing local representatives of a wave of issues that range from failing to listen to public concern and profiting from the presence of datacenters, resulting in a deepening distrust in local government. Experts say the communication gap between residents and datacenter companies is due to the multifaceted nature of bringing huge corporations to small communities.