Erin Brockovich pushing for data center transparency as AI booms

Environmental activist Erin Brockovich has taken on a new mission: to help provide transparency around the AI data center boom. 

"If data centers are so great, why are they being built in secret?" she asks. 

AI data centers in communities

Big picture view:

Artificial intelligence is largely powered by data centers that field queries, store data and deploy information. 

Massive amounts of electricity are needed for this execution, and the growing demand for AI use has been met with a data center construction boom. 

Local perspective:

Thirty-eight states have some form of a sales tax break for data centers, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures. The Associated Press says many of those tax breaks were approved several years ago when data centers were a small but growing part of the economy.

Dig deeper:

But now, as the demand for data centers is increasing, it’s being met with resistance from communities across the country. 

RELATED: Sam Altman: Michigan data center site could be where 'cancer is cured' one day

Erin Brockovich community awareness

Big picture view:

Brockovich recently wrote on her substack, The Brockovich Report, that she’s been hearing an increasing amount of complaints and concerns from people about AI data centers appearing in their communities. 

The other side:

Common and key concerns associated with AI data centers include: 

• Energy consumption
• Water usage
• E-waste
• Location risks
• Scalability and efficiency 
• Noise 

But Brockovich said one concern is standing out more than others – a lack of transparency and information. 

RELATED: Pope calls for strong AI regulations in new manifesto

What they're saying:

"The single most common concern—more than noise, more than water usage, more than rising utility bills—is the one word that keeps appearing in submission after submission: transparency," she wrote. 

"Residents are using words like silenced, ignored, secretive, and not seen and not heard," she continued.

"They write about back-door deals and NDAs. They describe showing up to planning meetings only to find out the decisions have already been made.

They’re watching their utility bills climb, finding sick animals they can’t explain, and worrying about the long-term impacts on their health and property values. These complaints are not small. They show a national pattern," she added. 

By the numbers:

Brockovich asked for people to submit reports on where they’re seeing data center construction. 

"In a month, 3,862 residents submitted reports. The map now has 2,716 pins and represents 49 states," she wrote on May 27, 2026. 

See her map here. 

Dig deeper:

Brockovich says this initiative to report data center construction will help everyone across all states see the bigger picture of how rapidly AI data centers are being developed. 

"The public should not be the last to know," the website says. 

RELATED: Erin Brockovich coming to East Palestine, Ohio after toxic train derailment

Who is Erin Brockovich? 

Big picture view:

Brockovich was a legal researcher who blew the whistle in the ‘90s on toxic water in the town of Hinkley, California. She was instrumental in building a case against Pacific Gas and Electric Company (PG&E) for leaking poisonous chemicals into the groundwater, infiltrating the health of the town. Her work helped lead to a historic settlement in 1996 of $333 million.

The story made it to Hollywood, where Brockovich was portrayed by Julia Roberts in the 2000 film "Erin Brockovich."

Meanwhile:

The 65-year-old has remained in the public eye as a consumer advocate and environmental activist.