Data centers have long been a staple of cinematic set pieces, often portrayed as futuristic heist locations or sinister lairs for villains. But in the real world, these facilities are facing a growing backlash from communities concerned about their environmental impact, energy consumption, and job creation. The data center development boom, fueled by Silicon Valley and its allies in politics, has led to a wave of resistance from small towns and local governments across the country. These communities are now fighting back against the construction of data centers, which they see as a threat to their environment, economy, and quality of life. The data center industry has long been criticized for its high energy consumption and environmental impact. Research has shown that data centers generate just a fraction of the jobs promised, with fewer than 23,000 permanent positions across the U.S. as of 2024. In some cases, the benefits of data centers are outweighed by the costs, such as increased utility bills and potentially contaminated drinking water. The situation in Monterey Park, California, is a prime example of the growing resistance to data centers. The city council unanimously voted to ban data center construction within its borders, citing concerns about the environmental impact and the potential for the facilities to become public nuisances. This decision came after hours of public comment and weeks of activist pushback against a proposed data center by Australian asset manager HMC StratCap. The Monterey Park victory provides a blueprint for other cities and towns across the nation wishing to prevent Big Tech and Wall Street from dropping vampiric buildings into their neighborhoods. As the data center industry continues to face growing resistance, it is likely that we will see more cinematic depictions of the anti-data center movement. While these depictions may not be as action-packed as Tom Cruise hacking while hanging from a wire, they could still be compelling. The idea of a movie about the foundation of Facebook was once a punchline, but now the sequel is about to drop. The data center industry is facing a growing backlash from communities concerned about its environmental impact, energy consumption, and job creation. As the industry continues to evolve, it will be interesting to see how it responds to this growing resistance and whether or not it can find a way to balance the needs of businesses with the concerns of local communities.
