Data centers pose financial and environmental burdens on small counties

When data centers move into small counties, the immediate costs to citizens often manifest as spiked residential utility bills, severe strains on local water and sewer capacities, and diminished tax revenues from generous corporate exemptions.] The hidden costs borne by the local community include: 1. Soaring Utility Bills: Data centers consume massive amounts of power and require utilities to build costly new infrastructure. In areas with high concentrations of data centers, wholesale electricity prices have historically jumped by up to 267% as those grid upgrade costs are passed onto everyday consumers.