Data centers face a public backlash. Developers say they can win back support
At a Las Vegas data center conference, QTS and Compass Datacenters executives outlined efforts to address public concerns about water use, energy costs, community benefits and industry secrecy. The companies cited initiatives including QTS's $1 billion water stewardship pledge and Compass's planned community investment near a proposed data center in El Mirage, Arizona, while QTS continues to face opposition to a proposed project in Clinton, Iowa.
QTS co-CEO Tag Greason and Compass Datacenters founder and CEO Chris Crosby said the data center industry must improve community engagement as public opposition to AI infrastructure grows. Speaking at the Yotta conference in Las Vegas, they said developers now need to address land, power, labor, supply chains and community benefits well before construction begins, rather than relying on private negotiations and nondisclosure agreements.
The developers described commitments to provide community investments, conserve water through closed-loop cooling systems, cover project-related power generation and transmission costs, and improve transparency. Compass cited more than $110,000 for shade improvements at an outdoor court near its planned 108-megawatt data center in El Mirage, Arizona, while QTS announced a $1 billion water stewardship pledge and a goal of becoming water positive by 2035. The article also noted continuing pushback against a proposed QTS data center in Clinton, Iowa, where the company had privately worked with officials on behalf of an anonymous client.