The Midwest's data center boom is heating up

The AI boom is reshaping the Midwest, driving a wave of data center development, straining energy systems, consuming millions of gallons of water—and triggering a new debate over who benefits. Data centers power the AI boom—but their soaring energy and water demands often go unreported, with unclear benefits for local communities and few permanent jobs created. Data centers used 4.4 percent of U.S. electricity in 2023 and could consume up to 12 percent by 2028, per the U.S. Department of Energy. The Midwest is emerging as one of the nation's fastest-growing data center hubs, with development stretching from Kansas and Iowa to Great Lakes states like Ohio, Michigan, Indiana and Wisconsin. But, expansions often happen behind closed doors.