Erin Brockovich made a map to track data centers around the country

Map and Data Quality

• Several commenters say many “community reported” sites appear inaccurate, duplicated, or trivial (e.g., tiny facilities, telco rooms).
• Others note under-reporting in some metros and obvious gaps for major operators.
• Clusters without links or owner names are seen as lower-confidence; entries with sources or specific site details are viewed as more trustworthy.
• Some reports suggest metro-level locations are roughly right but exact campuses are wrong.

Use of AI and Site Design

• Multiple people argue the site’s visual style and copy strongly resemble AI-assisted work; others push back that “clean, structured” writing is not proof of AI.
• Code is simple, non-minified, and non-React, which some see as atypical of AI-generated front ends.
• There is frustration with a trend of labeling anything disliked as “AI slop.”

Existing Resources and Project Rationale

• Commenters point to commercial data center maps and question why a new one is needed.
• Defenders say this project focuses on large AI/hyperscale centers, tracks impacts (water, power, bonds, jobs), and invites public reporting and organizing.

Environmental and Local Impacts

• Core concerns: electricity demand, water use (especially evaporative cooling), noise, heat islands, and strain on aging local infrastructure.
• Others argue the absolute land and water footprint is tiny compared to agriculture (especially beef) or golf courses, and that water issues are mostly local infrastructure problems.
• A few massive proposed sites (multi‑GW, off‑grid gas) trigger worries about ecosystem-scale thermal and emissions impact, though some argue such mega‑projects are unlikely to be fully built.

Economic, Political, and Social Context

• Some see AI compute as a strategic export industry the U.S. should encourage; others see it as job-destroying, environmentally harmful, and overhyped.
• There is debate over whether opposition is informed environmentalism, NIMBY populism, or generalized anti‑AI backlash.
• Concerns are raised that mapping could aid potential harassment or sabotage, while supporters frame it as legitimate transparency and grassroots organizing.

Technical Distinctions of “AI Data Centers”

• Engineers note that AI/GPU-heavy facilities drive much higher rack densities, power swings, and cooling demands, often shifting from air to liquid cooling and increasing water use.
• Commenters distinguish these hyperscale AI sites from traditional, smaller, or mixed-use data centers.