A schematic drawing shows how a Hub 8 data center site near Latham in rural Logan County might look. The project, still seeking approval, has faced pushback. | Courtesy Hub 8 Corp
New survey results show rural residents are more worried than urban and suburban Americans about the impacts of data centers, especially when it comes to electricity costs and the changing use of farmland, as AI infrastructure expands.
By Lauren Cross | Investigate Midwest
Data center construction is shifting toward rural America. At the same time, rural residents report greater concern than urban and suburban Americans about what those projects could mean for their electricity costs and farmland use.
That’s according to a survey released June 26 by researchers at the University of Illinois and Purdue University. The survey of about 1,000 U.S. adults, conducted in February, found rural residents expressed the highest average level of concern overall. Their greatest concern was rising electricity costs, followed by the use of agricultural land for data centers and overuse of water.
“Many unknowns remain about the full impacts associated with data center growth and expansion,” according to researchers.
By 2030, the energy requirements for data centers are projected to more than double in Illinois and triple in Indiana, Michigan, Minnesota and Wisconsin, researchers added, citing the University of Virginia’s Weldon Cooper Center for Public Service.
According to a separate April analysis of mapping data by the Pew Research Center, a major shift is underway. Nearly 90% of all existing data centers are in urban areas, but 67% of planned facilities are slated for rural communities and 39% are planned in counties without an existing data center.
Report continues here.
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