Ruralites worry most about data centers' impact on electric rates; urbanites join in concern about use of water and land - Entrepreneur Generations

Results are from a national poll of 1,000 people.

Rural Americans are more concered than their urban and suburban neihbors about the proliferation of data centers needed for the computing for artificial intelligence, according to the latest Gardner Food and Agricultural Policy Survey by agricultural economists at the University of Illinois and Purdue University.

Rural residents' greatest worry is that data centers will raise the cost of electricity. More than half in the poll said they are very worred about it. They are also concerned about overuse of water (but slightly less than urban residents are) and data centers' use of agriculatural land (but only slightly more than urban residents).

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The poll indicates that rural residents' "greatest concerns focus on the impacts that most directly affect their personal finances—particularly rising energy costs," the authors write. "While these individual-level concerns were significant, community leaders must take a broader perspective. In addition to the consumer impacts, they must also balance broader implications, including planning for future energy demand and infrastructure capacity, managing public finance and tax implications, evaluating opportunity costs relative to alternative land uses, and addressing land-use planning and zoning issues, among others. . . . Local leaders must better understand these potential issues so that they can make more informed decisions about siting data centers in their community and ask the right questions."

Data centers "can generate significant property tax revenue," but that can be reduced by tax incentives offered by state and local governments. "Not all data centers are the same, and the employment benefits of data centers vary, but the jobs impacts are often overstated," the authors write, citing recent research. "Many unknowns remain about the full impacts associated with data center growth and expansion.. . . In addition to the greater demands on energy generation and transmission, these developments will also impact water usage, wastewater discharge, and land use. Additionally, communities must also consider how these developments will affect air quality, noise pollution, and the economic trade-offs associated with data center development."

The Pew Research Center says 87 percent of data centers are in urban areas, "but 67 percent of planned facilities are slated for rural communities," the authors write. "Moreover, 39 percent of planned data centers are in counties that currently have none . As these developments become more rural, data centers will increasingly affect farmland, as well as rural electricity and water systems. 

Here's an earlier Rural Blog item with story ideas and resources for reporting on data centers. Penn State has a list of common questions for communities to ask.

from The Rural Blog https://ift.tt/L2T5kSn Ruralites worry most about data centers' impact on electric rates; urbanites join in concern about use of water and land - Entrepreneur Generations

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