| Data center development is not going away. In rural areas in particular, it’s only speeding up. In fact, Pew researchers Skyler Seets and Kaitlyn Radde have found that most new data centers in the U.S. are coming to rural areas. Out of the 3,000 data centers currently in operation across the country, just 13% of them are in rural areas. However, more than 1,500 new data centers are in development stages nationwide, 67% of the planned for rural areas.1 Additionally, nearly 40% of developing data centers are in counties that currently don’t have any. While Vermont is one of the states with the fewest data centers in operation2 (and we don’t have any of the newer, AI-driven “hyperscale” data centers yet), based on this report and everything else we’re seeing, it’s unrealistic to assume Big Tech developers will never look to Vermont as a new development ground. That concern is backed up by the fact that the same Pew report found a nearly 30% increase in data centers being developed in the Northeast. Another Pew report from Brian Kennedy published just last month, notes that a majority of Americans would be uncomfortable with a new data center in their local area3—and this fact exists across party lines, age and gender groups, education level, and whether folks live in urban, suburban, or rural areas. In August, Kennedy found that a high percentage Americans who live in rural areas felt that data centers are “mostly bad” for the environment, home energy costs, people’s quality of life nearby, local job opportunities, and local tax revenue. These percentages nearly doubled across categories since Kennedy last conducted the survey back in January. So, it’s clear that people care about data center development, are aware of their risks, and are unafraid to express their opposition. But how exactly do we protect ourselves from the risks that data centers pose? How can we be proactive—and protect Vermont communities before development plans are made here? How do we keep our rural areas healthy and free of data center development? We’re fortunate to be working with a coalition of incredible organizations and legislators who have made a lot of progress towards answering that question – and we’ll be pushing to ensure the kinds of protections we need become law this coming legislative session. To hear more, and how you can get involved in both statewide and local-level organizing, I encourage you to join VPIRG this Friday, October 23, from 12 – 1 PM for a Don’t Data Center Vermont Campaign Webinar. You’ll hear from Representative Laura Sibilia, the lead sponsor of last year’s data center protection bill, H.727, as well as myself and experts from our partners at Vermont Conservation Voters, Vermont Natural Resources Council, 350 Vermont, and the Conservation Law Foundation. Sources: 1. www.pewresearch.org/short-reads/2026/04/13/most-new-data-centers-in-the-us-are-coming-to-rural-areas/ 2. www.datacentermap.com/usa/ 3. www.pewresearch.org/short-reads/2026/09/22/americans-views-of-data-centers-have-turned-more-negative |
What researchers can tell us about data centers in rural areas
