CEBE Director Publishes Data Center Research

A new review article in Oxford Open Energy by Dr. Corey Young, executive director of the Center for Energy and the Built Environment at Washington & Jefferson College, makes the argument data centers are critical infrastructure, and should be governed that way.

The paper, titled “Clouds on the horizon: an integrative review of data centers and local governance in the United States,” synthesizes sprawling literature on various aspects of data center development, including energy and water use, siting, jobs, tax revenue, community impacts, and regulation, into one coherent picture. Young argues this fragmentation has left local officials unprepared for an industry that is reshaping their grids, watersheds, land markets, and budgets in real time.

The numbers are striking. Global AI-related electricity use is projected to reach 800 terawatt-hours by 2026, roughly the annual consumption of a mid-sized country. Even a one-megawatt facility can use more than 18,000 gallons of water a day.

Young examines impact that communities face from development and operation of data centers Construction generates a large number of jobs, but operations run on far fewer permanent employees. And while property revenue can be substantial, residents living near operating centers face persistent noise, light pollution, and rapid industrialization of formerly rural landscapes.

For local officials in regions like southwestern Pennsylvania, where cheap industrial land, existing transmission, and abundant natural gas have already attracted developer interest, Young argues that strengthening local government and regional strategic planning and preparedness is critical. The decisions being made now, in this current boom, will shape host communities for decades and reactive permitting will not be enough.

The paper is available on the CEBE website, wjenergy.org, under the resources tab.