Student creates interactive map to track data center development and AI policy

Isabelle Reksopuro, a University of Washington student, developed an interactive map to track global AI policy and data center construction, motivated by a local controversy in The Dalles, Oregon, concerning Google's data center water consumption. The city of The Dalles sought to reclaim 150 acres of Mount Hood National Forest land, citing municipal water needs for its growing population. However, environmentalists and other critics contend this action is intended to secure additional water for Google's extensive data center campus, which reportedly accounts for one-third of the city's water supply. Google has stated that the city initiated the land reclamation, not the company. Reksopuro's map, which updates daily using an AI assistant, aims to demystify data center policies and public responses. Her research indicates a divided national sentiment: a state-level moratorium on hyperscale data centers passed in Maine was subsequently vetoed by Governor Janet Mills, while Texas actively supports the industry with over $1 billion annually in tax breaks. Reksopuro believes that increased transparency would empower communities to negotiate for benefits such as job training programs, tax revenue, and environmental monitoring. Overall, the article emphasizes that opposition to data centers, driven by concerns over high power consumption and limited job creation, is a bipartisan issue in the US, despite significant variations in state and local policies.