The AI Data Center Boom Is Colliding With Cities Scarred by Big Industry
Across the United States, Americans are debating how their lives might change if new AI data centers are built in their backyards. Data center companies and their customers promise new jobs and economic growth, but that pitch has not won over a majority of Americans, who oppose data center construction in their area, often citing environmental and energy concerns.
For activist Shawmar Pitts, these concerns are not theoretical. He knows better than most what it is like to live in the shadow of American industrialization.
A Legacy of Industry in Grays Ferry
A lifelong resident of the Grays Ferry neighborhood in Southwest Philadelphia, Pitts grew up next to what was then the East Coast's largest oil refinery, which shut down after an explosion in 2019. Though many of his friends and family suffered from chronic health conditions, he did not realize what might have caused these illnesses until he encountered the environmental justice group Philly Thrive, which was tabling in his neighborhood in 2018 about a proposed oil refinery expansion.
"I read the information they had on the table about how living near the refinery affects you, and I'm looking at all the sicknesses on this paper, and I'm like, 'My mother has this, my sister has that, my next-door neighbor suffers from this' โ every house, someone has something on that list," Pitts told TechCrunch. "From that point, I was all the way in."
!Shawmar Pitts (Philly Thrive) at the No Data Centers in Philly rally
Shawmar Pitts (Philly Thrive) at the No Data Centers in Philly rally. Image Credits: Amanda Silberling / TechCrunch
Organizing Against Data Centers
Pitts, now the managing co-director of that same organization, is among those leading the charge for a data center moratorium in Philadelphia. While there have been no formal proposals for construction yet, city officials have identified potential sites, and community groups are mobilizing to ensure that the mistakes of the past are not repeated.
As of 2026, the national debate over AI data centers has only intensified. With the rapid expansion of generative AI and cloud computing, demand for data center capacity has surged, prompting companies to seek new locations โ often in communities already burdened by industrial pollution. These residents argue that data centers, while cleaner than refineries, still consume massive amounts of energy and water, drive up local electricity costs, and offer few permanent jobs.
A Growing National Movement
Philadelphia is not alone. From Virginia's "Data Center Alley" to rural communities in the Midwest and Southwest, grassroots opposition is mounting. In 2025, several states introduced legislation to require environmental impact reviews and community benefit agreements for large data center projects. Gallup polling from that year found that a majority of Americans oppose data centers in their area, a sentiment that has only grown as more projects are announced.
For Pitts and Philly Thrive, the fight is personal. "We've been through this before," he said. "We're not going to let them come in and treat our neighborhood like a sacrifice zone again."
As AI continues to reshape the economy, the clash between tech's insatiable appetite for computing power and communities scarred by past industry is set to define the next chapter of America's energy and environmental justice battles.
via TechCrunch AI