The Cloud Next Door: Investigating the Environmental and Socioeconomic Strain of Datacenters on Local Communities

Abstract

Datacenters have become the backbone of modern digital infrastructure, powering the rapid rise of artificial intelligence and promising economic growth and technological progress. However, this expansion has brought growing tensions in the local communities where datacenters are already situated or being proposed. While the mainstream discourse often focuses on energy usage and carbon footprint of the computing sector at a global scale, the local socio-environmental consequences—such as health impacts, water usage, noise pollution, infrastructural strain, and economic burden—remain largely underexplored and poorly addressed. In this work1, we surface these community-level consequences through a mixed-methods study that combines quantitative data with qualitative insights. Focusing on Northern Virginia’s “Data Center Alley,” we highlight how datacenter growth reshapes local environments and everyday life, and examine the power dynamics that determine who benefits and who bears the costs. Our goal is to bring visibility to these impacts and prompt more equitable and informed decisions about the future of digital infrastructure.