With the explosion of AI, it’s no surprise that data centers over 50 megawatts have increased 7X since 2018 and there are now over 350 in U.S. communities.
Of course, all of this is not without controversy. Many states and cities are pushing back on data center developments and there is growing public concern over the heavy resource use – power and water – as well as disruptive noise and increased pollution.
More and more data centers are targeting rural areas with an average of 27 miles from a metro area, up from 23 miles in 2017.
Finally, what impact are data centers having on home prices. As of now, the effects seem to be negligible, but, as with all things related to AI. that could change quickly.