{"id":290921,"date":"2026-08-17T09:41:38","date_gmt":"2026-08-17T13:41:38","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/ncrc.org\/?p=290921"},"modified":"2026-08-17T09:41:38","modified_gmt":"2026-08-17T13:41:38","slug":"preventing-hyperscale-harm-analyzing-the-potential-impact-of-opportunity-zones-2-0","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/ncrc.org\/preventing-hyperscale-harm-analyzing-the-potential-impact-of-opportunity-zones-2-0\/","title":{"rendered":"Preventing Hyperscale Harm: Analyzing the Potential Impact of Opportunity Zones 2.0 in Rural Communities Experiencing Accelerating AI Data Center Construction"},"content":{"rendered":"\t\t<div data-elementor-type=\"wp-post\" data-elementor-id=\"290921\" class=\"elementor elementor-290921\" data-elementor-post-type=\"post\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<section class=\"elementor-section elementor-top-section elementor-element elementor-element-9e70d28 elementor-section-height-min-height elementor-section-stretched elementor-section-boxed elementor-section-height-default elementor-section-items-middle\" data-id=\"9e70d28\" data-element_type=\"section\" data-e-type=\"section\" data-settings=\"{&quot;stretch_section&quot;:&quot;section-stretched&quot;,&quot;jet_parallax_layout_list&quot;:[{&quot;jet_parallax_layout_image&quot;:{&quot;url&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;id&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;size&quot;:&quot;&quot;},&quot;_id&quot;:&quot;b77f70d&quot;,&quot;jet_parallax_layout_image_tablet&quot;:{&quot;url&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;id&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;size&quot;:&quot;&quot;},&quot;jet_parallax_layout_image_mobile&quot;:{&quot;url&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;id&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;size&quot;:&quot;&quot;},&quot;jet_parallax_layout_speed&quot;:{&quot;unit&quot;:&quot;%&quot;,&quot;size&quot;:50,&quot;sizes&quot;:[]},&quot;jet_parallax_layout_type&quot;:&quot;scroll&quot;,&quot;jet_parallax_layout_direction&quot;:&quot;1&quot;,&quot;jet_parallax_layout_fx_direction&quot;:null,&quot;jet_parallax_layout_z_index&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;jet_parallax_layout_bg_x&quot;:50,&quot;jet_parallax_layout_bg_x_tablet&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;jet_parallax_layout_bg_x_mobile&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;jet_parallax_layout_bg_y&quot;:50,&quot;jet_parallax_layout_bg_y_tablet&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;jet_parallax_layout_bg_y_mobile&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;jet_parallax_layout_bg_size&quot;:&quot;auto&quot;,&quot;jet_parallax_layout_bg_size_tablet&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;jet_parallax_layout_bg_size_mobile&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;jet_parallax_layout_animation_prop&quot;:&quot;transform&quot;,&quot;jet_parallax_layout_on&quot;:[&quot;desktop&quot;,&quot;tablet&quot;]}],&quot;background_background&quot;:&quot;classic&quot;}\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-background-overlay\"><\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-container elementor-column-gap-no\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-column elementor-col-100 elementor-top-column elementor-element elementor-element-86386e2\" data-id=\"86386e2\" data-element_type=\"column\" data-e-type=\"column\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-wrap elementor-element-populated\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-1e265a0 elementor-widget elementor-widget-heading\" data-id=\"1e265a0\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"heading.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<h1 class=\"elementor-heading-title elementor-size-default\">Preventing Hyperscale Harm:<\/h1>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-6d9e1be elementor-widget elementor-widget-heading\" data-id=\"6d9e1be\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"heading.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<h2 class=\"elementor-heading-title elementor-size-default\">Analyzing the Potential Impact of Opportunity Zones 2.0 in Rural Communities Experiencing Accelerating AI Data Center Construction<\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-7f4a3a1 elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"7f4a3a1\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p>August 2026<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t<section class=\"elementor-section elementor-top-section elementor-element elementor-element-3813635 elementor-section-stretched elementor-section-boxed elementor-section-height-default elementor-section-height-default\" data-id=\"3813635\" data-element_type=\"section\" data-e-type=\"section\" data-settings=\"{&quot;stretch_section&quot;:&quot;section-stretched&quot;,&quot;background_background&quot;:&quot;classic&quot;,&quot;jet_parallax_layout_list&quot;:[{&quot;jet_parallax_layout_image&quot;:{&quot;url&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;id&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;size&quot;:&quot;&quot;},&quot;_id&quot;:&quot;63680be&quot;,&quot;jet_parallax_layout_image_tablet&quot;:{&quot;url&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;id&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;size&quot;:&quot;&quot;},&quot;jet_parallax_layout_image_mobile&quot;:{&quot;url&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;id&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;size&quot;:&quot;&quot;},&quot;jet_parallax_layout_speed&quot;:{&quot;unit&quot;:&quot;%&quot;,&quot;size&quot;:50,&quot;sizes&quot;:[]},&quot;jet_parallax_layout_type&quot;:&quot;scroll&quot;,&quot;jet_parallax_layout_direction&quot;:&quot;1&quot;,&quot;jet_parallax_layout_fx_direction&quot;:null,&quot;jet_parallax_layout_z_index&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;jet_parallax_layout_bg_x&quot;:50,&quot;jet_parallax_layout_bg_x_tablet&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;jet_parallax_layout_bg_x_mobile&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;jet_parallax_layout_bg_y&quot;:50,&quot;jet_parallax_layout_bg_y_tablet&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;jet_parallax_layout_bg_y_mobile&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;jet_parallax_layout_bg_size&quot;:&quot;auto&quot;,&quot;jet_parallax_layout_bg_size_tablet&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;jet_parallax_layout_bg_size_mobile&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;jet_parallax_layout_animation_prop&quot;:&quot;transform&quot;,&quot;jet_parallax_layout_on&quot;:[&quot;desktop&quot;,&quot;tablet&quot;]}]}\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-container elementor-column-gap-default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-column elementor-col-100 elementor-top-column elementor-element elementor-element-99be109\" data-id=\"99be109\" data-element_type=\"column\" data-e-type=\"column\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-wrap elementor-element-populated\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-f825b65 elementor-align-center elementor-widget elementor-widget-button\" data-id=\"f825b65\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"button.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-button-wrapper\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<a class=\"elementor-button elementor-button-link elementor-size-sm\" href=\"#elementor-action%3Aaction%3Doff_canvas%3Aopen%26settings%3DeyJpZCI6IjFiOTg2NzciLCJkaXNwbGF5TW9kZSI6Im9wZW4ifQ%3D%3D\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"elementor-button-content-wrapper\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"elementor-button-text\">Download Report<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-1b98677 elementor-widget elementor-widget-off-canvas\" data-id=\"1b98677\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-settings=\"{&quot;entrance_animation&quot;:&quot;slideInDown&quot;,&quot;exit_animation&quot;:&quot;slideInDown&quot;}\" data-widget_type=\"off-canvas.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div id=\"off-canvas-1b98677\" class=\"e-off-canvas\" role=\"dialog\" aria-hidden=\"true\" aria-label=\"Off-Canvas\" aria-modal=\"true\" inert=\"\" data-delay-child-handlers=\"true\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"e-off-canvas__overlay\"><\/div>\n\t\t\t<div class=\"e-off-canvas__main\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"e-off-canvas__content\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-eee3b6d e-con-full e-flex e-con e-child\" data-id=\"eee3b6d\" data-element_type=\"container\" data-e-type=\"container\" data-settings=\"{&quot;background_background&quot;:&quot;gradient&quot;,&quot;jet_parallax_layout_list&quot;:[]}\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-4bef137 elementor-view-default elementor-widget elementor-widget-icon\" data-id=\"4bef137\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"icon.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-icon-wrapper\">\n\t\t\t<a class=\"elementor-icon\" href=\"#elementor-action%3Aaction%3Doff_canvas%3Aclose%26settings%3DeyJpZCI6IjFiOTg2NzciLCJkaXNwbGF5TW9kZSI6ImNsb3NlIn0%3D\">\n\t\t\t<svg aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"e-font-icon-svg e-fas-times\" viewBox=\"0 0 352 512\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\"><path d=\"M242.72 256l100.07-100.07c12.28-12.28 12.28-32.19 0-44.48l-22.24-22.24c-12.28-12.28-32.19-12.28-44.48 0L176 189.28 75.93 89.21c-12.28-12.28-32.19-12.28-44.48 0L9.21 111.45c-12.28 12.28-12.28 32.19 0 44.48L109.28 256 9.21 356.07c-12.28 12.28-12.28 32.19 0 44.48l22.24 22.24c12.28 12.28 32.2 12.28 44.48 0L176 322.72l100.07 100.07c12.28 12.28 32.2 12.28 44.48 0l22.24-22.24c12.28-12.28 12.28-32.19 0-44.48L242.72 256z\"><\/path><\/svg>\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-3632212 e-con-full e-flex e-con e-child\" data-id=\"3632212\" data-element_type=\"container\" data-e-type=\"container\" data-settings=\"{&quot;background_background&quot;:&quot;classic&quot;,&quot;jet_parallax_layout_list&quot;:[]}\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-1829c8c elementor-widget elementor-widget-heading\" data-id=\"1829c8c\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"heading.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<h1 class=\"elementor-heading-title elementor-size-default\">Nashville\u2019s Unified Housing Strategy<\/h1>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-2f456c0 elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"2f456c0\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tComplete the form to download <br>the full report:<\/br>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-9dd6195 elementor-button-align-stretch elementor-widget elementor-widget-form\" data-id=\"9dd6195\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-settings=\"{&quot;step_next_label&quot;:&quot;Next&quot;,&quot;step_previous_label&quot;:&quot;Previous&quot;,&quot;button_width&quot;:&quot;100&quot;,&quot;step_type&quot;:&quot;number_text&quot;,&quot;step_icon_shape&quot;:&quot;circle&quot;}\" 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elementor-field-group-field_37dc9cf elementor-col-100 elementor-field-required elementor-mark-required\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<input size=\"1\" type=\"text\" name=\"form_fields[field_37dc9cf]\" id=\"form-field-field_37dc9cf\" class=\"elementor-field elementor-size-sm  elementor-field-textual\" placeholder=\"Last Name\" required=\"required\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-field-type-email elementor-field-group elementor-column elementor-field-group-email elementor-col-100 elementor-field-required elementor-mark-required\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<input size=\"1\" type=\"email\" name=\"form_fields[email]\" id=\"form-field-email\" class=\"elementor-field elementor-size-sm  elementor-field-textual\" placeholder=\"Email\" required=\"required\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-field-type-text elementor-field-group elementor-column elementor-field-group-field_31e3e7e elementor-col-100 elementor-field-required elementor-mark-required\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<input size=\"1\" type=\"text\" name=\"form_fields[field_31e3e7e]\" id=\"form-field-field_31e3e7e\" class=\"elementor-field elementor-size-sm  elementor-field-textual\" placeholder=\"Organization\/Company Name\" required=\"required\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-field-type-text elementor-field-group elementor-column elementor-field-group-field_5e53299 elementor-col-100 elementor-field-required elementor-mark-required\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<input size=\"1\" type=\"text\" name=\"form_fields[field_5e53299]\" id=\"form-field-field_5e53299\" class=\"elementor-field elementor-size-sm  elementor-field-textual\" placeholder=\"Zip Code\" required=\"required\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-field-type-acceptance elementor-field-group elementor-column elementor-field-group-field_6521488 elementor-col-100\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-field-subgroup\">\n\t\t\t<span class=\"elementor-field-option\">\n\t\t\t\t<input type=\"checkbox\" name=\"form_fields[field_6521488]\" id=\"form-field-field_6521488\" class=\"elementor-field elementor-size-sm  elementor-acceptance-field\" checked=\"checked\">\n\t\t\t\t<label for=\"form-field-field_6521488\">Yes, send me updates by email about NCRC research, events and news.<\/label>\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-field-group elementor-column elementor-field-type-submit elementor-col-100 e-form__buttons\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<button class=\"elementor-button elementor-size-sm\" type=\"submit\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"elementor-button-content-wrapper\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"elementor-button-text\">Download Now<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/button>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/form>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-9f48c2b elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"9f48c2b\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p class=\"p1\"><b>Simon Wang, <\/b><i>Economic Mobility Specialist<br \/><\/i><b>Bruce C. Mitchell, PhD, <\/b><i>Principal Researcher<br \/><\/i><strong><span lang=\"EN\">Jad Edlebi, <\/span><\/strong><i><span lang=\"EN\">GIS Data Engineer<\/span><br \/><\/i><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-8cb1ca3 elementor-widget-divider--view-line elementor-widget elementor-widget-divider\" data-id=\"8cb1ca3\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"divider.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-divider\">\n\t\t\t<span class=\"elementor-divider-separator\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-e3a3f32 e-con-full e-flex e-con e-parent\" data-id=\"e3a3f32\" data-element_type=\"container\" data-e-type=\"container\" data-settings=\"{&quot;jet_parallax_layout_list&quot;:[]}\">\n\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-cbfb5f5 e-flex e-con-boxed e-con e-child\" data-id=\"cbfb5f5\" data-element_type=\"container\" data-e-type=\"container\" data-settings=\"{&quot;background_background&quot;:&quot;classic&quot;,&quot;jet_parallax_layout_list&quot;:[]}\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"e-con-inner\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-bbd7a8a elementor-widget elementor-widget-heading\" data-id=\"bbd7a8a\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"heading.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<h2 class=\"elementor-heading-title elementor-size-default\">Interactive Map Application<\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-bb90eaa e-con-full e-flex e-con e-child\" data-id=\"bb90eaa\" data-element_type=\"container\" data-e-type=\"container\" data-settings=\"{&quot;jet_parallax_layout_list&quot;:[]}\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-18957fb elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"18957fb\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"wp-block-image\"><a href=\"https:\/\/ncrc.org\/hyperscale-data-center-interactive-map\/\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"wpa-warning wpa-image-missing-alt alignright wp-image-253019\" src=\"https:\/\/ncrc.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/view-interactive-map-thumb.jpg\" alt=\"View map icon\" width=\"256\" height=\"168\" data-warning=\"Missing alt text\" \/><\/a><\/div>\n<p data-wp-editing=\"1\">The <em>Hyperscale Data Center\u00a0<\/em> interactive map application shows rural low-income communities eligible to become Qualified Opportunity Zones under the new OZ program.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-d992646 e-con-full e-flex e-con e-parent\" data-id=\"d992646\" data-element_type=\"container\" data-e-type=\"container\" data-settings=\"{&quot;jet_parallax_layout_list&quot;:[]}\">\n\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-69ac972 e-con-full e-flex e-con e-child\" data-id=\"69ac972\" data-element_type=\"container\" data-e-type=\"container\" data-settings=\"{&quot;jet_parallax_layout_list&quot;:[]}\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-20687f5 elementor-widget elementor-widget-menu-anchor\" data-id=\"20687f5\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"menu-anchor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-menu-anchor\" id=\"Summary\"><\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-e9fc848 e-con-full e-flex e-con e-child\" data-id=\"e9fc848\" data-element_type=\"container\" data-e-type=\"container\" data-settings=\"{&quot;background_background&quot;:&quot;classic&quot;,&quot;shape_divider_bottom&quot;:&quot;triangle&quot;,&quot;shape_divider_bottom_negative&quot;:&quot;yes&quot;,&quot;jet_parallax_layout_list&quot;:[]}\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-shape elementor-shape-bottom\" aria-hidden=\"true\" data-negative=\"true\">\n\t\t\t<svg xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" viewBox=\"0 0 1000 100\" preserveAspectRatio=\"none\">\n\t<path class=\"elementor-shape-fill\" d=\"M500.2,94.7L0,0v100h1000V0L500.2,94.7z\"\/>\n<\/svg>\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-8fb2457 elementor-widget elementor-widget-heading\" data-id=\"8fb2457\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"heading.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<h2 class=\"elementor-heading-title elementor-size-default\">Executive Summary<\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-4c1856a elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"4c1856a\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Data centers are the backbone of the digital economy. Since the rise of the internet, the United States has become the data center capital of the world, housing nearly<br \/><a href=\"https:\/\/www.datacentermap.com\/datacenters\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">40% of the world\u2019s data centers to date<\/a>. Before recent breakthroughs in large language models (LLMs) shifted the\u00a0 landscape of artificial intelligence (AI) investment, data centers operated relatively innocuously, often housing institutional data and servicing basic cloud computing needs.<\/p><p>However, the demands of newer AI models have required <a href=\"https:\/\/www.idc.com\/resource-center\/blog\/ai-infrastructure-spending-caps-historic-year-at-90-billion-in-q4-2025-2029-spending-to-eclipse-1-trillion\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">historic amounts of investment<\/a> in larger, more resource-intensive data centers. In general, more data centers of all kinds are needed to support the wider integration of AI into the digital economy. While hyperscale data centers are increasingly viewed as critical infrastructure for the digital economy, their rapid expansion places considerable demands on local energy grids, water supplies, land use and public services, generating growing concerns about their effects on host communities.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-caf57ad elementor-widget elementor-widget-menu-anchor\" data-id=\"caf57ad\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"menu-anchor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-menu-anchor\" id=\"Growth\"><\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-7eaeb5c elementor-widget elementor-widget-heading\" data-id=\"7eaeb5c\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"heading.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<h2 class=\"elementor-heading-title elementor-size-default\">The Growth and Acceleration of AI\nData Center Construction<\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-1070695 elementor-widget elementor-widget-menu-anchor\" data-id=\"1070695\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"menu-anchor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-menu-anchor\" id=\"Structural\"><\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-9bad98c elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"9bad98c\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p style=\"font-weight: 400;\">By the end of this year, an estimated <a href=\"https:\/\/tech-insider.org\/big-tech-ai-infrastructure-spending-2026\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">$500 to $700 billion<\/a> will have been put toward data center development, with a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.whitehouse.gov\/fact-sheets\/2025\/07\/fact-sheet-president-donald-j-trump-accelerates-federal-permitting-of-data-center-infrastructure\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">stamp of approval<\/a> from the federal government to move forward as quickly as possible. In an increasingly stagnant economy suffering<br \/>from <a href=\"https:\/\/www.marketplace.org\/story\/2025\/09\/17\/top-10-of-earners-make-up-half-of-us-retail-spending\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">diminished consumer spending<\/a> as well as <a href=\"https:\/\/ncrc.org\/in-a-new-year-old-uncertainties-remain-january-2026s-race-jobs-and-the-economy-recap\/\">slowing job growth<\/a>, data centers<br \/>and capital expenditure commitments by the so-called \u201cMagnificent 7\u201d Big Tech conglomerates (Apple, Microsoft, Amazon, Google, Meta, Tesla and NVIDIA) have become the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.spglobal.com\/en\/research-insights\/special-reports\/look-forward\/data-center-frontiers\/data-center-investment-moves-macro-needle\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">engine of the economy<\/a>. Some estimates suggest spending on data centers contributed <a href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/jasonfurman\/status\/1971995367202775284\">as much as 92%<\/a> of gross domestic product (GDP) growth during the first half of 2025.<\/p><p>While the financial markets continue to show confidence in AI, people on the ground have shown growing opposition to the construction of data centers and apprehension about the broader economic and societal impacts of AI. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.pewresearch.org\/short-reads\/2026\/03\/12\/how-americans-view-data-centers-impact-in-key-areas-from-the-environment-to-jobs\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Poll<\/a> after <a href=\"https:\/\/www.reuters.com\/world\/us\/americans-wary-ai-driven-data-center-boom-reutersipsos-poll-shows-2026-06-11\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">poll<\/a> demonstrates Americans strongly oppose data center development in their communities. The <a href=\"https:\/\/news.gallup.com\/poll\/709772\/americans-oppose-data-centers-area.aspx\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">most recent Gallup<\/a> survey from March 2026 found that seven in 10 Americans oppose constructing AI data centers in their local areas, including 48% who strongly opposed it. Although <a href=\"https:\/\/www.npr.org\/2026\/06\/10\/nx-s1-5844328\/us-china-data-centers-foreign-influence\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">some question<\/a> the breadth of data center opposition, the consensus from most polling suggests that Americans across the political spectrum oppose data center development.<\/p><p>The billions of dollars in AI data center investment are placing a physical toll on communities, especially in rural areas. As data center proposals show up across the country, local residents are learning in real time just how powerful OpenAI, Anthropic and the rest of the Big Tech companies really are as well as what the costs of AI are to their land, resources, health and ways of life.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-44b8ab1 elementor-widget elementor-widget-heading\" data-id=\"44b8ab1\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"heading.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<h2 class=\"elementor-heading-title elementor-size-default\">Structural Factors Pushing AI Data Centers to Rural Communities<\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-b5c462a elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"b5c462a\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p>As AI models have changed, so too has the physical footprint of the data centers<br \/>powering them. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.pewresearch.org\/short-reads\/2026\/04\/13\/most-new-data-centers-in-the-us-are-coming-to-rural-areas\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Recent estimates<\/a> suggest that the overwhelming majority of new data center projects in the US are planned to be constructed in rural areas, even though most of those currently operating are located in cities. The shift in the geography of data center projects is largely a byproduct of alignment between the needs of the latest AI technology and the advantages of developing newer, larger AI data centers in rural areas of the country.<\/p><p>However, all data centers are not created equal. As frontier AI labs have doubled<br \/>down on models that require enormous amounts of data to train and operate, the size and scale of data centers have grown astronomically. These so-called <a href=\"https:\/\/www.datacenterdynamics.com\/en\/analysis\/what-is-a-hyperscale-data-center\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">hyperscale data centers<\/a> and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.datacenterrealestate.com\/news\/inside-the-new-data-center-mega-campuses-of-2025\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">mega-campuses<\/a> (henceforth referred to as AI data centers) are built specifically for AI and have completely altered the landscape of data center construction across the board, expanding quickly into communities that had largely been left behind in the digital economy until recently.<\/p><p>The move to hyperscale data centers is a marked shift from the wave of data centers built during the rise of the internet and cloud computing. This previous cohort of data centers was built primarily to optimize latency (the time it takes for data to pass from one point on a network to another), which meant building near urban communities with high concentrations of end users or suburban areas with access to high-speed fiber optic cables (e.g., \u201c<a href=\"https:\/\/www.notus.org\/metro\/northern-virginia-data-center-capital\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Data Center Alley<\/a>\u201d in Northern Virginia).<\/p><p>Figure 1, shown below, shows the dense concentration of data centers found along power lines in Northern Virginia. Access to government users and close proximity to the submarine transatlantic cables that run along the ocean floor made Northern Virginia an ideal location for data center construction.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-35e2d82 elementor-widget elementor-widget-menu-anchor\" data-id=\"35e2d82\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"menu-anchor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-menu-anchor\" id=\"Fig01\"><\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<img fetchpriority=\"high\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"e-image-base \" data-interaction-id=\"4dfdfac\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-id=\"4dfdfac\" id=\"291264\" src=\"https:\/\/ncrc.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/data-center-alley-ashburn.jpg\" width=\"1219\" height=\"1518\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ncrc.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/data-center-alley-ashburn.jpg 1219w, https:\/\/ncrc.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/data-center-alley-ashburn-241x300.jpg 241w, https:\/\/ncrc.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/data-center-alley-ashburn-822x1024.jpg 822w, https:\/\/ncrc.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/data-center-alley-ashburn-768x956.jpg 768w\" alt=\"\"\/>\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-51f6591 elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"51f6591\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p><strong>Figure 1. &#8220;<\/strong>Data Center Alley\u201d outside Washington D.C. in Ashburn, VA. Large circles are hyperscale data centers. Orange lines are high voltage power transmission lines.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-25ea9be elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"25ea9be\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p>These data centers were much smaller, housed fewer servers and, by extension, required less resources and introduced fewer adverse effects to the surrounding environment. In fact, most data centers operated relatively innocuously, sometimes housed in downtown buildings nearly indistinguishable from office parks. However, in recent decades, the rise of cloud services like Google Drive and Microsoft SharePoint in addition to growing interest in big data increased interest in larger data centers.<\/p><p>Throughout the 2010s, hyperscale data centers began to emerge around the world to meet this demand for storing and processing data. Although demand for data centers was already rising steadily, the emergence of generative AI has led to a dramatic expansion. A recent McKinsey analysis <a href=\"https:\/\/www.mckinsey.com\/industries\/technology-media-and-telecommunications\/our-insights\/ai-power-expanding-data-center-capacity-to-meet-growing-demand\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">estimates<\/a> around 70% of the growing demand is for data centers built specifically to support AI.<\/p><p>To build AI data centers, vast amounts of natural resources (e.g. land, energy, water) are needed in quantities that are magnitudes greater than the data centers primarily used for other purposes. The availability and price of these resources, especially land, in rural areas have made them particularly attractive to companies involved in the construction, management and use of AI data centers. As a result, rural communities are increasingly finding AI data center developers at their doorstep.<\/p><p>There are five key resource and infrastructure requirements that are required to develop an AI data center: land, energy, water, electricity grid and fiber optic network infrastructure. Rural areas vary in the cost and availability of these inputs, but generally they offer more favorable\u00a0 environments for AI data center construction and operation.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-6f7e183 elementor-widget elementor-widget-menu-anchor\" data-id=\"6f7e183\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"menu-anchor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-menu-anchor\" id=\"KeyResources\"><\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-56602fb e-con e-atomic-element e-div-block-base \" data-id=\"56602fb\" data-element_type=\"e-div-block\" data-e-type=\"e-div-block\" data-interaction-id=\"56602fb\" data-e-type=\"e-div-block\" data-id=\"56602fb\">\n    <div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-1bb08e2 e-con-full e-flex e-con e-child\" data-id=\"1bb08e2\" data-element_type=\"container\" data-e-type=\"container\" data-settings=\"{&quot;jet_parallax_layout_list&quot;:[]}\">\n\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-9c26f3d e-con-full e-flex e-con e-child\" data-id=\"9c26f3d\" data-element_type=\"container\" data-e-type=\"container\" data-settings=\"{&quot;jet_parallax_layout_list&quot;:[],&quot;background_background&quot;:&quot;classic&quot;}\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-14cffa2 elementor-widget__width-initial elementor-widget elementor-widget-image\" data-id=\"14cffa2\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"image.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<img decoding=\"async\" width=\"450\" height=\"450\" src=\"https:\/\/ncrc.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/land-icon.png\" class=\"attachment-large size-large wp-image-291267\" alt=\"\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ncrc.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/land-icon.png 450w, https:\/\/ncrc.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/land-icon-300x300.png 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 450px) 100vw, 450px\" \/>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-6a8de69 elementor-widget__width-initial elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"6a8de69\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-settings=\"{&quot;_animation&quot;:&quot;none&quot;,&quot;_animation_delay&quot;:800}\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p><strong>Land<\/strong><br \/>Hyperscale data centers have historically been defined as taking up at least 10,000 square feet for the actual facility. However, more recently, AI data center developers have been buying thousands of acres of land for facilities spanning millions of square feet. Some of the <a style=\"color: #ffc23a;\" href=\"https:\/\/www.landmodo.com\/blog\/908\/average-price-per-acre-by-state-2026\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">cheapest available raw land<\/a> is found in large, rural states with low population density and high land supply.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-65b0fbc e-con-full e-flex e-con e-child\" data-id=\"65b0fbc\" data-element_type=\"container\" data-e-type=\"container\" data-settings=\"{&quot;jet_parallax_layout_list&quot;:[],&quot;background_background&quot;:&quot;classic&quot;}\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-8cfb901 elementor-widget__width-initial elementor-widget elementor-widget-image\" data-id=\"8cfb901\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"image.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"450\" height=\"450\" src=\"https:\/\/ncrc.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/energy-icon.png\" class=\"attachment-large size-large wp-image-291268\" alt=\"\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ncrc.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/energy-icon.png 450w, https:\/\/ncrc.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/energy-icon-300x300.png 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 450px) 100vw, 450px\" \/>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-455045f elementor-widget__width-initial elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"455045f\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-settings=\"{&quot;_animation&quot;:&quot;none&quot;,&quot;_animation_delay&quot;:800}\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p><strong>Energy<\/strong><br \/>The equipment housed in a hyperscale data center requires vast amounts of energy to operate. Estimates now suggest that data centers could make up <a href=\"https:\/\/arxiv.org\/pdf\/2604.06198\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">roughly 1% of global power demand<\/a> and <a href=\"https:\/\/escholarship.org\/uc\/item\/33m6w3x0\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">11% of total domestic electricity consumption<\/a> by 2030 &#8211; a share <a href=\"https:\/\/www.goldmansachs.com\/insights\/articles\/AI-poised-to-drive-160-increase-in-power-demand\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">projected to grow<\/a> substantially as AI workloads expand.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-81e3182 e-con-full e-flex e-con e-child\" data-id=\"81e3182\" data-element_type=\"container\" data-e-type=\"container\" data-settings=\"{&quot;jet_parallax_layout_list&quot;:[],&quot;background_background&quot;:&quot;classic&quot;}\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-bf35fcd elementor-widget__width-initial elementor-widget elementor-widget-image\" data-id=\"bf35fcd\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"image.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"450\" height=\"450\" src=\"https:\/\/ncrc.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/water-icon.png\" class=\"attachment-large size-large wp-image-291269\" alt=\"\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ncrc.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/water-icon.png 450w, https:\/\/ncrc.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/water-icon-300x300.png 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 450px) 100vw, 450px\" \/>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-a81a502 elementor-widget__width-initial elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"a81a502\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-settings=\"{&quot;_animation&quot;:&quot;none&quot;,&quot;_animation_delay&quot;:800}\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p><strong>Water<\/strong><br \/>The heat generated by hyperscale facilities place substantial demands on local water used in cooling systems, with some large facilities <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nature.com\/articles\/s41545-021-00101-w.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">consuming millions of gallons yearly<\/a>. While newer direct liquid cooling, air cooling technologies and closed-loop systems are beginning to reduce this burden, these improvements in<a href=\"https:\/\/www.mdpi.com\/1996-1073\/16\/3\/1279\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"> water use depend on system design and local climate conditions<\/a>.<br \/><br \/><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-485d824 e-con-full e-flex e-con e-child\" data-id=\"485d824\" data-element_type=\"container\" data-e-type=\"container\" data-settings=\"{&quot;jet_parallax_layout_list&quot;:[],&quot;background_background&quot;:&quot;classic&quot;}\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-ff1280a elementor-widget__width-initial elementor-widget elementor-widget-image\" data-id=\"ff1280a\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"image.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"300\" height=\"300\" src=\"https:\/\/ncrc.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/electricity-icon-rev-300x300.png\" class=\"attachment-medium size-medium wp-image-291271\" alt=\"\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ncrc.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/electricity-icon-rev-300x300.png 300w, https:\/\/ncrc.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/electricity-icon-rev.png 450w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-9353d4b elementor-widget__width-initial elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"9353d4b\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-settings=\"{&quot;_animation&quot;:&quot;none&quot;,&quot;_animation_delay&quot;:800}\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p><strong>Electricity Grid<\/strong><br \/>AI data centers place <a href=\"https:\/\/escholarship.org\/uc\/item\/33m6w3x0\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">growing stress on an already aging nationwide electrical grid<\/a>, often requiring major improvements to infrastructure in order to gain access to electricity at the scale and frequency needed to support AI development.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-15424fe e-con-full e-flex e-con e-child\" data-id=\"15424fe\" data-element_type=\"container\" data-e-type=\"container\" data-settings=\"{&quot;jet_parallax_layout_list&quot;:[],&quot;background_background&quot;:&quot;classic&quot;}\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-ee8d598 elementor-widget__width-initial elementor-widget elementor-widget-image\" data-id=\"ee8d598\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"image.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"300\" height=\"300\" src=\"https:\/\/ncrc.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/fiberoptic-icon-300x300.png\" class=\"attachment-medium size-medium wp-image-291272\" alt=\"\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ncrc.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/fiberoptic-icon-300x300.png 300w, https:\/\/ncrc.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/fiberoptic-icon.png 450w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-0b00350 elementor-widget__width-initial elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"0b00350\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-settings=\"{&quot;_animation&quot;:&quot;none&quot;,&quot;_animation_delay&quot;:800}\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p><strong>Fiber Optic Network Infrastructure<\/strong><br \/>Data centers must be <a style=\"color: #ffc23a;\" href=\"https:\/\/www.cbre.com\/insights\/reports\/global-data-center-trends-2024\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">located within a reasonable distance of the fiber optic backbone<\/a> that spans the country because latency and bandwidth constraints make rural remote siting viable only where it can be accessed or extended economically. Unlike previous eras of data centers focused on latency, distance to internet infrastructure is a secondary factor to the electricity grid when it comes to AI data centers.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\n<\/div>\n\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-87071cd elementor-widget elementor-widget-menu-anchor\" data-id=\"87071cd\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"menu-anchor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-menu-anchor\" id=\"Tradeoffs\"><\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-a631e1a elementor-widget elementor-widget-heading\" data-id=\"a631e1a\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"heading.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<h2 class=\"elementor-heading-title elementor-size-default\">Tradeoffs of Rural AI Centers<\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-925bf49 elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"925bf49\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p><strong>Demographic Access and Exclusion<\/strong><\/p><p>As rural communities face growing interest from AI data center developers, disinvestment and demographic shifts away from rural areas have shaped how communities and elected officials have responded. Rural areas of the country have been losing population density for decades, putting local governments under significant financial pressure as their tax bases have declined. Even in communities that recognize the risks and negative\u00a0 effects of AI data centers, many have been overlooked by other, perhaps more desirable, economic<br \/>development projects. As a result, elected officials are left without an alternative.<\/p><p>Based on the lack of interest from other developers, many states and local governments have\u00a0 embraced AI data centers as the key to restoring tax revenue in rural areas. <a href=\"https:\/\/goodjobsfirst.org\/data-center-subsidies-surge-as-states-lose-billions\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Some<\/a> even introduced tax incentives and abatements to compete with other regions and attract data center developers to their communities. In return for subsidizing development, local officials are often promised jobs, tax revenue and other community development initiatives.<\/p><p>However, the costs of an AI data center are not just financial. AI data centers also introduce a multitude of externalities that are not accounted for on the balance sheet, such as <a href=\"https:\/\/energy.mit.edu\/current-initiatives\/data-center-power-demand\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">straining energy<\/a> supply and electricity grids, <a href=\"https:\/\/fieldreport.caes.uga.edu\/publications\/TP121\/how-data-centers-impact-surface-and-ground-waters\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">contaminating the local water<\/a> supply and <a href=\"https:\/\/histsci.fas.harvard.edu\/sites\/g\/files\/omnuum9516\/files\/2026-02\/Environmental_Footprint_of_U_S__Data_Centers.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">polluting<\/a> the air. Ultimately, the net impact of data centers is difficult to forecast, especially without <a href=\"https:\/\/www.theregister.com\/off-prem\/2026\/01\/25\/datacenters-use-ndas-to-quiet-community-outcry-critics-say\/4213994\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">transparency standards<\/a>, updated zoning codes and environmental impact assessments.<\/p><p>The demographic shifts and resulting financial challenges facing rural communities are yet another contributor to the acceleration of AI data center development. In recent years, grassroots opposition has mounted as people from across the political spectrum are coalescing to reject data center builds.<\/p><p>Stuck between fervent local opposition, pressure from developers to move quickly and the tradeoffs of allowing construction to move forward, rural policymakers have been put in an impossible position. Either circumvent constituents and accept the costs of constructing an AI data center or risk jeopardizing the financial security of their community. All of this has turned AI data centers into one of the most polarizing economic development projects in the country.<\/p><p><a href=\"#_ftnref1\" name=\"_ftn1\"><\/a><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-c3b9764 elementor-widget elementor-widget-menu-anchor\" data-id=\"c3b9764\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"menu-anchor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-menu-anchor\" id=\"FederalTax\"><\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-2d548e9 elementor-widget elementor-widget-heading\" data-id=\"2d548e9\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"heading.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<h2 class=\"elementor-heading-title elementor-size-default\">Federal Tax Policy May Further Incentivize Rural AI Data Centers<\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-da9e721 elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"da9e721\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p>Recent changes to a federal community development initiative called the Opportunity Zones (OZs) program could provide additional economic incentives for AI companies to develop hyperscale data centers in rural areas of the country. The OZ program was first created through <a href=\"https:\/\/www.congress.gov\/index.php\/committee-report\/115th-congress\/house-report\/409\/1\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017<\/a> as a place-based economic development initiative designed to channel private capital into low-income communities.<\/p><p>By offering investors preferential tax treatment on capital gains, policymakers hoped to stimulate business activity, job creation and long-term community development in economically distressed census tracts.<\/p><p>By 2026, it is estimated that investors had directed roughly <a href=\"https:\/\/home.treasury.gov\/system\/files\/131\/WP-128.pdf#:~:text=By%202024%2C%20cumulative%20qualified%20investment%20had%20increased%20to,suggests%20that%20capital%20investment%20has%20flowed%20into%20OZs.\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">$100 billion nationwide<\/a> into economic development projects through the OZ program. However, the effectiveness of that money in uplifting disadvantaged communities has been widely debated. Although some argue the OZ program has attracted capital to communities that had long struggled to secure investments, further analysis reveals the hollow nature of those contributions. Estimates suggest a substantial share of the funds invested through the first OZ program ended up flowing into projects that <a href=\"https:\/\/www.urban.org\/urban-wire\/opportunity-zones-need-be-retooled-achieve-impact\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">would have happened even without the tax incentive<\/a>.<\/p><p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.nber.org\/books-and-chapters\/economics-place-based-policies\/targeting-place-based-policies-new-markets-tax-credit-versus-opportunity-zones\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Some analyses<\/a> have found that many of the projects delivered minimal direct benefits to residents of the low-income communities it was designed to serve. Rather than helping the persistently distressed communities that the OZ program was purportedly created to serve, the investments that did materialize were disproportionately put toward constructing <a href=\"https:\/\/papers.ssrn.com\/sol3\/papers.cfm?abstract_id=3780241\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">market-rate real estate<\/a> in the most well-off enclaves of the zone.<\/p><p>By allowing investors to lift and defer taxes on long-term investments, OZs reward economic development projects that are likely to increase in value and generate capital gains over time, such as market-rate housing or AI data centers. As a result, investments made through the OZ program often ended up going to areas with the least need rather than being put toward job-creating businesses in distressed communities.<\/p><p>Despite these concerns, Congress renewed and expanded the program in 2025, making OZs a permanent feature of the federal economic development landscape and creating a new facet of the program called the Qualified Rural Opportunity Fund to focus specifically on driving investment in rural communities. In addition to questions about whether this action will offer tangible benefits to rural communities and not just wealthy investors, the race to develop AI data centers across rural America introduces another set of concerns about whether the projects that rural OZs may attract will translate to meaningful impact.<\/p><p>AI data centers are exactly the kind of capital-intensive, long-duration, asset-heavy investment that OZ-style incentives are structured to reward. Rural areas designated as OZs that offer comparatively cheap land costs, access to affordable energy and proximity to fiber optic infrastructure present an attractive investment profile for AI companies seeking to maximize the tax advantages of long-term asset appreciation.<\/p><p>While this situation might be beneficial for investors, constructing an AI data center imposes many costs on residents without many clear direct benefits beyond some immediate relief to the local tax base and perhaps a handful of long-term jobs. Just as market-rate housing in wealthier metropolitan neighborhoods became the go-to project for OZ investors, AI data centers could repeat this pattern in rural OZs, albeit at a much greater scale of investment and with far greater negative consequences.<\/p><p><a href=\"#_ftnref1\" name=\"_ftn1\"><\/a><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-d37bfe8 elementor-widget elementor-widget-menu-anchor\" data-id=\"d37bfe8\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"menu-anchor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-menu-anchor\" id=\"Growth\"><\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-1a08845 elementor-widget elementor-widget-heading\" data-id=\"1a08845\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"heading.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<h2 class=\"elementor-heading-title elementor-size-default\">Identifying Rural Communities Impacted by Data Center Development in Opportunity Zones<\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-3950d96 elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"3950d96\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p>To anticipate which rural communities could become targets for AI data center development, we used ArcGIS to create a map of the United States at the census tract level. Next, we constructed an AI data center siting index using the characteristics identified. The AI data center siting index was constructed using the locations of existing data centers to identify the factors that best predict where future data centers are likely to be located.<\/p><p>These factors include the density of the electrical power grid, their proximity to internet exchange points and the high-speed fiber-optic backbone. Locational data came from the FracTracker Alliance, who publishes a <a href=\"https:\/\/docs.google.com\/spreadsheets\/d\/1JJ6kcVo-NjlAYtznwHOki2DVl4WWV6lhy-eXhFCdKKU\/edit?gid=386766486#gid=386766486\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">publicly available dataset<\/a> of more than 1,600 data centers. The map below (Figure 2) shows in darker colors areas with a greater risk of development. Next, the results of the index were overlaid on a map of all low-income census tracts identified in the 2024 Census data. Finally, we plotted the location of the data centers using the data from <a href=\"https:\/\/www.fractracker.org\/data-centers\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">FracTracker Alliance<\/a>.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-966781f elementor-widget elementor-widget-menu-anchor\" data-id=\"966781f\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"menu-anchor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-menu-anchor\" id=\"Map\"><\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-19da5b8 e-con e-atomic-element e-flexbox-base \" data-id=\"19da5b8\" data-element_type=\"e-flexbox\" data-e-type=\"e-flexbox\" data-interaction-id=\"19da5b8\" data-e-type=\"e-flexbox\" data-id=\"19da5b8\">\n    \t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-d67d430 elementor-cta--skin-classic elementor-animated-content elementor-bg-transform elementor-bg-transform-zoom-in elementor-widget elementor-widget-call-to-action\" data-id=\"d67d430\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"call-to-action.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-cta\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-cta__bg-wrapper\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-cta__bg elementor-bg\" style=\"background-image: url(https:\/\/ncrc.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/hyperscale-data-center-map2-1024x1024.jpg);\" role=\"img\" aria-label=\"Untitled design - 1\"><\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-cta__bg-overlay\"><\/div>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-cta__content\">\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<h2 class=\"elementor-cta__title elementor-cta__content-item elementor-content-item\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\tHyperscale Data Center Interactive Map\t\t\t\t\t<\/h2>\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-cta__description elementor-cta__content-item elementor-content-item\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\tFigure 2- Rural low-income communities eligible to become Qualified Opportunity Zones under the new iteration of the OZ program. Darker shaded census tracts are more highly rated under the AI data center siting index for electric grid density, proximity to IXP sites and internet backbone structure. Interstate highways are in yellow.\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-cta__button-wrapper elementor-cta__content-item elementor-content-item \">\n\t\t\t\t\t<a class=\"elementor-cta__button elementor-button elementor-size-\" href=\"https:\/\/ncrc.org\/hyperscale-data-center-interactive-map\/\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\tINTERACTIVE MAP\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\n<\/div>\n\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-30b7893 elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"30b7893\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p>Overall, 14% of all data centers were located within OZs. However, the concentration was notably higher among approved, permitted and under-construction facilities, with 17.3% being located in OZs. Given the share of all Census tracts designated as OZs, this rate is 46% higher than expected. Operating facilities were also overrepresented, while cancelled projects exhibited the highest concentration, with nearly one in five located in an OZ.\u00a0<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-ae59740 elementor-widget elementor-widget-menu-anchor\" data-id=\"ae59740\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"menu-anchor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-menu-anchor\" id=\"Recommendations\"><\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-cd3a062 elementor-widget elementor-widget-heading\" data-id=\"cd3a062\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"heading.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<h2 class=\"elementor-heading-title elementor-size-default\">State and Local Policy Recommendations<\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-0f0c63c elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"0f0c63c\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p>OZs should be used to promote real economic development with real benefits for communities rather than jeopardizing community health, safety and autonomy in return for modest economic benefits. Moreover, rural governments should not feel forced to accept projects that their constituents are against. To avoid repeating the mistakes of the first round OZ program, there are two complementary courses of action that state and local governments impacted by rural OZ designations could take to preserve community autonomy and long-term interests.<\/p><p><strong>Incentivize Community-Aligned AI Data Center Alternatives<br \/><\/strong>First and foremost, governors must listen to community groups (vs. industry) and nominate LMI census tracts that have high potential for OZ investment to benefit their communities. Then, local and state governments representing rural communities should pair the OZ designation with additional strategies for attracting community-aligned projects.<\/p><p>That begins with rigorous planning that empowers residents to build a vision for their community\u2019s future. Local governments should ensure they have strong, ambitious plans and goals co-created alongside community members. The resulting plans and objectives offer a roadmap for policymakers and community members that represents their shared priorities. In fact, many communities already engage in this process.<\/p><p>These may include but are not limited to implementing the following:<\/p><ul><li>A water usage plan,<\/li><li>An energy usage plan,<\/li><li>A heat mitigation plan,<\/li><li>An economic development plan,<\/li><li>Clear environmental standards (such as air pollution and emissions <br \/>reduction guidelines),<\/li><li>Concrete environmental justice goals,<\/li><li>Public health goals, and<\/li><li>A city equity plan.<\/li><\/ul><p>Using these plans, local officials should first identify the kinds of economic development projects that match residents\u2019 priorities. Then, they should encourage the creation of those projects by <a href=\"https:\/\/opportunityzones.com\/2026\/02\/coni-rathbone-375\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">stacking additional incentives<\/a> onto census tracts designated as rural OZs. Doing so will help to direct Qualified Rural Opportunity Fund investments into projects that will more positively impact the community, cause fewer negative effects and align better with residents\u2019 needs.<\/p><p>At the local level, zoning ordinances offer policy levers for both preventing AI data center construction and further incentivizing other projects. For example, municipalities can change the zoning code to restrict data centers from being developed in OZ-designated census tracts. In Atlanta, Georgia, the <a href=\"https:\/\/atlantacityga.iqm2.com\/Citizens\/Detail_LegiFile.aspx?Frame=&amp;MeetingID=4061&amp;MediaPosition=&amp;ID=35353&amp;CssClass=\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">city council amended<\/a> their zoning code to prohibit data centers in the Beltline Overlay District, an initiative to link green space, trails, transit and economic development. At the same time, local governments can make it easier to build projects that better align with community priorities. They could, for example, reduce permitting requirements or shorten review periods for affordable housing, local businesses or other preferred developments.<\/p><p>At the state level, lawmakers can pass state\u2011specific OZ tax credits or subsidies for other kinds of economic development projects that have <a href=\"https:\/\/www.upjohn.org\/research-highlights\/new-study-incentives-most-clean-energy-projects-yield-positive-economic-return\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">stronger evidence<\/a> of delivering long-term community benefits. Stacking tax credits for certain kinds of projects adds another layer of incentives for investing in projects that advance the community\u2019s goals (e.g. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.novoco.com\/resource-centers\/affordable-housing-tax-credits\/state-lihtc-program-descriptions\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">state-specific<\/a> Low-Income Housing Tax Credit programs).<\/p><p>States can also <a href=\"https:\/\/www.brookings.edu\/articles\/states-incentivize-local-investing-capital-businesses-housing\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">pave the way<\/a> for residents to participate as investors in their own communities. Offering state tax incentives for state resident investments in local businesses and incentivizing community investment funds allow ordinary investors to participate in OZs and guide OZ investments to locally led projects. Passing <a href=\"https:\/\/files.consumerfinance.gov\/f\/documents\/cfpb_state_community_reinvestment_acts_2023-11.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">state-level Community Reinvestment Acts<\/a> can also increase the amount of investment from financial institutions that is available to communities in these areas. Overall, this place-based, people-led approach helps to align economic incentives with what the community wants and needs, encouraging more democratic development.<\/p><p><em><strong>Condition Data Center Permits on Alignment and Commitment <\/strong><\/em><strong><em>to the Community<\/em><br \/><\/strong>More broadly, state and local governments should set policies that establish a baseline set of guardrails that ensure data center proposals are introduced transparently and with the support of their communities. Given the power imbalances between Big Tech companies and local governments, AI data centers offer little possibility for parity in shared agreements.<\/p><p>Not every community will have what it takes to organize a successful negotiation with AI companies and developers. Under voluntary frameworks, every shared agreement requires strong organizing campaigns and local leadership to negotiate with a Big Tech company. If the company breaches their agreement, then local governments are also unlikely to have the resources needed to withstand long legal fights.<\/p><p>AI data centers should fit into the existing community planning goals mentioned earlier. Local governments can achieve this by establishing a <a href=\"https:\/\/datacenters.ainowinstitute.org\/establish-conditional-use-permits\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">conditional use permitting process for data centers<\/a> (e.g. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.limerickpa.org\/DocumentCenter\/View\/7421\/Data-Center-Ordinance-No-431---Adopted-November-12-2024\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Limerick Township, Pennsylvania<\/a>). Conditional use permits require developers to apply to the zoning board for permission to use the land for specific purposes. Developers must meet specific conditions set by the local government before they receive approval, with their permits being revoked if conditions are not met throughout the lifespan of the property. Local governments can set rules for what kinds of projects require approval and what is required to be approved for a permit. Approval for AI data centers should be conditioned on adherence to transparency measures as well as alignment with community goals.<\/p><p>The approval process for data center projects should reject applications that fail to comply with these expectations. The burden should be on the data center developer to prove how the project will fit within a community\u2019s priorities, with clear and transparent timelines, plans and accountability measures. Failure to effectively demonstrate this should result in rejection. Moreover, successful applications should be accompanied by a requirement that the developer complete a legally enforceable community benefits agreement (CBA) with residents.<\/p><p>One of the key goals of a CBA is to secure real commitments for community members from data center developers before construction proceeds. They have long been used in a variety of <a href=\"https:\/\/goodjobsfirst.org\/community-benefits-agreements-making-development-projects-accountable\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">large-scale economic development projects<\/a>, including <a href=\"https:\/\/www.buffalobills.com\/new-stadium\/community-benefits-agreement\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">professional sports stadiums<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.wri.org\/cbf-database\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">clean energy projects<\/a> and <a href=\"https:\/\/ncrc.org\/cba\/\">bank investments<\/a>. In recent years, several localities have signed CBAs with data center developers. In <a href=\"https:\/\/www.cityoflancasterpa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/Lancaster-CBA-Draft.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Lancaster, Pennsylvania<\/a>, a CBA secured a water use cap, emissions controls and a $20 million community fund. In <a href=\"https:\/\/www.stlouis-mo.gov\/government\/departments\/mayor\/news\/data-center-permit-approved.cfm\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">St. Louis, Missouri<\/a>, the city negotiated binding commitments on noise, sustainability and water use, retaining the right to seek legal recourse if provisions go unmet.<\/p><p>Growing resident concerns about data centers are prompting a range of state and local policy responses, from <a href=\"https:\/\/www.interconnectedcapital.com\/research\/data-center-moratoriums\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">moratoriums<\/a> to broader debates over how proposals should be evaluated through permitting and zoning processes. CBAs are increasingly seen as an important piece of that puzzle (e.g., the <a href=\"https:\/\/naacp.org\/sites\/default\/files\/documents\/NAACP CBA Template 2026.pdf\" data-wplink-url-error=\"true\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">NAACP CBA framework<\/a> and the <a href=\"https:\/\/fas.org\/publication\/community-benefit-agreements-data-center-development\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Federation of American Scientists\u2019 CBA framework).<\/a> By tying the permitting process to developers&#8217; commitment to community priorities by, for example, conditioning approval on completion of a CBA, local governments can ensure that data center projects benefit the community and have buy-in from residents. When paired with <a href=\"https:\/\/ainowinstitute.org\/publications\/data-center-policy-guide\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">broader safeguards<\/a>, CBAs are one mechanism policymakers and communities may consider for increasing community participation in decisions about whether and how data centers are built.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-bccd323 elementor-widget elementor-widget-menu-anchor\" data-id=\"bccd323\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"menu-anchor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-menu-anchor\" id=\"Conclusion\"><\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-dc1998f elementor-widget elementor-widget-heading\" data-id=\"dc1998f\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"heading.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<h2 class=\"elementor-heading-title elementor-size-default\">Conclusion<\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-05dd1bc elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"05dd1bc\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p>Advances in AI technology and the expansion of big data in the modern digital economy have vastly increased the demand for large, hyperscale data centers over the past decade. In recent years, AI companies in particular have expanded investment, increasing the pace and scale of their push to construct AI data centers. The scale and intensity of resources needed to build and operate these AI data centers has shifted development to rural areas of the country, which have often been overlooked by other economic development projects.<\/p><p>However, current evidence suggests that the long-term economic impact of AI data centers is limited. Although they can provide much-needed support for the local tax base, AI data centers create very few jobs beyond the construction phase and impose a host of negative consequences on the surrounding environment with significant effects on public health and community life. As grassroots opposition grows, local officials are increasingly squeezed between representing the views of their constituents and protecting the long-term financial security of their communities.<\/p><p>The creation of Rural Opportunity Funds further complicates the picture by providing additional federal tax incentives for large, capital-intensive projects like AI data centers. That said, local and state governments representing rural communities that are designated as OZs can take actions that incentivize Rural Opportunity Fund investments to be used for more beneficial economic development projects than AI data centers.<\/p><p>Moreover, they can introduce formal processes and mechanisms for ensuring that AI data center projects are approved transparently with community input, align with broader community planning goals and remain accountable via community benefits over the entire course of the project. Communities that are successful at aligning economic development policy with planning goals co-created by residents and policymakers can ensure Rural Opportunity Funds are leveraged for meaningful, long-term community impact rather than as an accelerant for the AI data center buildout.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-0597cf7 e-flex e-con-boxed e-con e-child\" data-id=\"0597cf7\" data-element_type=\"container\" data-e-type=\"container\" data-settings=\"{&quot;jet_parallax_layout_list&quot;:[{&quot;jet_parallax_layout_image&quot;:{&quot;url&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;id&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;size&quot;:&quot;&quot;},&quot;_id&quot;:&quot;5b90c5d&quot;,&quot;jet_parallax_layout_image_tablet&quot;:{&quot;url&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;id&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;size&quot;:&quot;&quot;},&quot;jet_parallax_layout_image_mobile&quot;:{&quot;url&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;id&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;size&quot;:&quot;&quot;},&quot;jet_parallax_layout_speed&quot;:{&quot;unit&quot;:&quot;%&quot;,&quot;size&quot;:50,&quot;sizes&quot;:[]},&quot;jet_parallax_layout_type&quot;:&quot;scroll&quot;,&quot;jet_parallax_layout_direction&quot;:&quot;1&quot;,&quot;jet_parallax_layout_fx_direction&quot;:null,&quot;jet_parallax_layout_z_index&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;jet_parallax_layout_bg_x&quot;:50,&quot;jet_parallax_layout_bg_x_tablet&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;jet_parallax_layout_bg_x_mobile&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;jet_parallax_layout_bg_y&quot;:50,&quot;jet_parallax_layout_bg_y_tablet&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;jet_parallax_layout_bg_y_mobile&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;jet_parallax_layout_bg_size&quot;:&quot;auto&quot;,&quot;jet_parallax_layout_bg_size_tablet&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;jet_parallax_layout_bg_size_mobile&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;jet_parallax_layout_animation_prop&quot;:&quot;transform&quot;,&quot;jet_parallax_layout_on&quot;:[&quot;desktop&quot;,&quot;tablet&quot;]}]}\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"e-con-inner\">\n\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-8e7eec7 elementor-hidden-mobile e-flex e-con-boxed e-con e-child\" data-id=\"8e7eec7\" data-element_type=\"container\" data-e-type=\"container\" data-settings=\"{&quot;jet_parallax_layout_list&quot;:[],&quot;sticky&quot;:&quot;top&quot;,&quot;sticky_on&quot;:[&quot;desktop&quot;,&quot;tablet&quot;],&quot;sticky_offset&quot;:125,&quot;sticky_effects_offset&quot;:0,&quot;sticky_anchor_link_offset&quot;:0}\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"e-con-inner\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-83e7094 elementor-widget elementor-widget-heading\" data-id=\"83e7094\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"heading.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<h2 class=\"elementor-heading-title elementor-size-default\">TABLE OF CONTENTS<\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-c4339cc elementor-widget elementor-widget-heading\" data-id=\"c4339cc\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"heading.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<h2 class=\"elementor-heading-title elementor-size-default\"><a href=\"#Summary\">Executive Summary<\/a><\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-b9481eb elementor-widget elementor-widget-heading\" data-id=\"b9481eb\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"heading.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<h2 class=\"elementor-heading-title elementor-size-default\"><a href=\"#Growth\">The Growth and Acceleration<\/a><\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-6acd875 elementor-widget elementor-widget-heading\" data-id=\"6acd875\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"heading.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<h2 class=\"elementor-heading-title elementor-size-default\"><a href=\"#Structural\">Structural Factors Pushing AI Data Centers<\/a><\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-69c50b7 elementor-widget elementor-widget-heading\" data-id=\"69c50b7\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"heading.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<h2 class=\"elementor-heading-title elementor-size-default\"><a href=\"#Tradeoffs\">Tradeoffs of Rural AI Centers<\/a><\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-659bd26 elementor-widget elementor-widget-heading\" data-id=\"659bd26\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"heading.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<h2 class=\"elementor-heading-title elementor-size-default\"><a href=\"#FederalTax\">Federal Tax Policy<\/a><\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-fd1d65b elementor-widget elementor-widget-heading\" data-id=\"fd1d65b\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"heading.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<h2 class=\"elementor-heading-title elementor-size-default\"><a href=\"#Financial\">Identifying Rural Communities Impacted<\/a><\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-25f07c7 elementor-widget elementor-widget-heading\" data-id=\"25f07c7\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"heading.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<h2 class=\"elementor-heading-title elementor-size-default\"><a href=\"#Map\">Interactive Map<\/a><\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-b3a81df elementor-widget elementor-widget-heading\" data-id=\"b3a81df\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"heading.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<h2 class=\"elementor-heading-title elementor-size-default\"><a href=\"#Recommendations\">State and Local Policy Recommendations<\/a><\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-0cf8604 elementor-widget elementor-widget-heading\" data-id=\"0cf8604\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"heading.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<h2 class=\"elementor-heading-title elementor-size-default\"><a href=\"#Conclusion\">Conclusion<\/a><\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-55ee814 elementor-widget elementor-widget-heading\" data-id=\"55ee814\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"heading.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<h2 class=\"elementor-heading-title elementor-size-default\">Subscribe<\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-d49a73d elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"d49a73d\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p>Get NCRC news and <br \/>alerts by email.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-cab220e elementor-widget elementor-widget-html\" data-id=\"cab220e\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"html.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<script charset=\"utf-8\" type=\"text\/javascript\" src=\"\/\/js.hsforms.net\/forms\/embed\/v2.js\"><\/script>\n<script>\n  hbspt.forms.create({\n    region: \"na1\",\n    portalId: \"22325826\",\n    formId: \"38ff3e48-e6b5-461d-938c-365275aa6273\"\n  });\n<\/script>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>While hyperscale data centers are increasingly viewed as critical infrastructure for the digital economy, their rapid expansion places considerable demands on local energy grids, water supplies, land use and public services, generating growing concerns about their effects on host communities.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":932,"featured_media":291259,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"elementor_header_footer","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_angie_page":false,"content-type":"","_uag_custom_page_level_css":"","_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"site-sidebar-layout":"default","site-content-layout":"default","ast-site-content-layout":"default","site-content-style":"default","site-sidebar-style":"default","ast-global-header-display":"","ast-banner-title-visibility":"","ast-main-header-display":"","ast-hfb-above-header-display":"","ast-hfb-below-header-display":"","ast-hfb-mobile-header-display":"","site-post-title":"","ast-breadcrumbs-content":"","ast-featured-img":"","footer-sml-layout":"","ast-disable-related-posts":"","theme-transparent-header-meta":"default","adv-header-id-meta":"","stick-header-meta":"default","header-above-stick-meta":"","header-main-stick-meta":"","header-below-stick-meta":"","astra-migrate-meta-layouts":"set","ast-page-background-enabled":"default","ast-page-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center 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Wang, Bruce C. Mitchell, PhD, Jad Edlebi","author_link":""},"uagb_comment_info":0,"uagb_excerpt":"While hyperscale data centers are increasingly viewed as critical infrastructure for the digital economy, their rapid expansion places considerable demands on local energy grids, water supplies, land use and public services, generating growing concerns about their effects on host communities.","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/ncrc.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/290921","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/ncrc.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/ncrc.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ncrc.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/932"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ncrc.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=290921"}],"version-history":[{"count":60,"href":"https:\/\/ncrc.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/290921\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":291348,"href":"https:\/\/ncrc.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/290921\/revisions\/291348"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ncrc.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/291259"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/ncrc.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=290921"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ncrc.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=290921"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ncrc.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=290921"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}