Erin Brockovich, the environmental activist who secured a $333m settlement from Pacific Gas and Electric Company (PG&E) in 1993 over groundwater contamination in Hinkley, California, has turned her attention to the rapid expansion of AI datacentres. She describes the situation as 'Hinkley on steroids' after receiving thousands of emails from concerned residents across the United States.
Massive Response to Callout
In April, Brockovich issued a call on her website for people worried about datacentre developments to contact her. Within a month, 3,862 people had replied. By late June, she had built an open-source map showing 33 operational AI datacentres, 68 under construction, and 41 proposed. The map also logged 7,005 reports submitted through her online form, revealing widespread community unease.
Many residents express shock at the lack of prior notice. 'Why did I not know about this? How did this construction just start?' Brockovich reads from emails. Others raise concerns about resource depletion, water usage, energy costs, health impacts, and wildlife loss. 'I'm watching wildlife disappear,' one person wrote. 'I'm seeing dead animals.'
Water and Energy Strain
According to analysis by the Guardian, two-thirds of planned datacentres in the US are in drought-stricken areas. Larger centres require up to 5m gallons of water daily for cooling, equivalent to the average usage of 50,000 people. Brockovich cites a resident whose monthly water bill surged from $22 to over $350 after a datacentre began operating nearby.
Developers often enter nondisclosure agreements with local officials, bypassing environmental-impact assessments and public input. Brockovich notes that councils attempting to pause projects face lawsuits seeking $100m or more. In Hill County, Texas, commissioners voted for a year-long moratorium after public outcry, but were sued for $100m in damages and subsequently backed down, according to the Texas Tribune.
Bipartisan Opposition
Brockovich stresses that opposition to datacentres is bipartisan. However, she acknowledges that political changes can affect campaign success. During the Biden administration, the Pentagon announced a clean-up operation for PFAS contamination, but the Trump Department of Defense has delayed it until 2039 in some areas.
Brockovich advocates for case-by-case moratoriums on datacentre approvals. Seventy-nine municipalities in the US have issued moratoriums, many facing lawsuits. Pauses have been introduced in Georgia, Maryland, Michigan, and South Carolina, though a Maine moratorium was vetoed.
Global Reach
Brockovich's datacentre work extends beyond the US, with contacts from Australia, India, Scotland, and Ireland. Dublin already has a moratorium on new datacentres, as they accounted for a fifth of Ireland's electricity usage by 2023. 'This is a planetary thing,' she says. 'It's overwhelming.'
Despite her age—she turns 66 this month—Brockovich remains determined. 'I'm in my legacy phase,' she says. 'I have six grandchildren.' She insists that victory comes through pragmatic steps: demanding environmental-impact reports, public hearings, and legal action. 'Lawsuits aren't settling for $333m any more; they're settling for billions,' she notes.
