Erin Brockovich Slams Data Center Secrecy for Excluding Local Residents

Environmental activist Erin Brockovich is taking aim at the rapid expansion of data centers, arguing that residents are being left out of decisions that can reshape their communities. In interviews and on her new reporting project, she says the biggest source of anger is not simply the facilities themselves, but the secrecy surrounding how they are approved and presented to the public.

According to Business Insider, Brockovich said on “The Jim Acosta Show” that communities feel the projects are being “shoved down their throat in secrecy.” She said residents often first learn about proposals only at an early stage, after local officials have already signed nondisclosure agreements that limit what they can say. In some cases, she said, projects are introduced as warehouses rather than data centers, which leaves people feeling misled.

The concern is resonating in places where tech companies are building large facilities to support AI products and cloud services. Residents have raised alarms about possible strain on water supplies, higher electricity costs, noise, and broader effects on quality of life, according to Business Insider. Brockovich said the central issue is that people are being excluded from decisions affecting their own neighborhoods.

TechCrunch also reported that Brockovich has launched a new effort focused on data center secrecy, reflecting how the issue has become part of her broader environmental work. She has spent decades working with communities in environmental disputes, and she says the current backlash is driven by a desire for transparency, not denial of difficult tradeoffs.

Brockovich argues that communities can handle the facts, but not being shut out of the process. As reported by Business Insider, she said residents are not opposed to hearing hard information; what they object to is being told too late, after decisions are effectively already made.

The debate matters because data centers are becoming a major part of the digital economy, especially as demand grows for artificial intelligence. But the projects also bring local consequences, including power use, water demand, and land-use changes, which can create tension between companies eager to build quickly and residents who want a say in what is coming to their town.

For now, Brockovich is trying to turn that frustration into a wider public campaign, using media appearances and community reporting to draw attention to what she describes as a pattern of secrecy. The extent of local opposition appears to depend on how much information is shared upfront, and whether residents believe they are being consulted before the outcome is already decided.