Don’t Let Data Centers Lock In Fossil Fuels

Across the country, communities are being blindsided by massive new data centers that threaten our climate, drain local water supplies, and raise energy costs — all with little warning and even less accountability. As these projects explode in size and number, families and local governments are left to shoulder the environmental damage while corporations reap the profits. We call on the Trump Administration to step in now and require rigorous environmental review, including full climate impact analysis, for every new data center before it is approved, so communities have a voice and our climate is protected.

Data centers are among the fastest-growing sources of electricity demand in the U.S. As artificial intelligence and cloud computing expand, these facilities are consuming enormous amounts of power and water, often in regions already facing grid stress, drought, and pollution. Without strong federal oversight, many new data centers risk locking in decades of fossil fuel use, increasing greenhouse gas emissions, and undermining climate progress at the state and local level.

Across the country, residents, local governments, and state officials are sounding the alarm. Communities are organizing against proposed data centers because of rising energy costs, strain on water supplies, noise pollution, land degradation, and the risk of new gas-fired power plants built solely to serve these facilities. From Virginia to Arizona to Georgia, opposition is growing as people realize these projects often deliver limited local benefits while imposing lasting environmental harm.

Yet under current rules, many data centers are approved with minimal environmental scrutiny. Developers frequently rely on voluntary climate pledges that are unenforceable and fail to account for cumulative impacts on emissions, water use, and public health. Communities are left without clear answers — and without a meaningful voice in decisions that affect their future.

The federal government must act. We call on the Trump Administration to require comprehensive environmental impact statements for all new data centers, including analysis of climate pollution, energy sourcing, water use, and alternatives that align with climate science and community needs.

America’s digital future should not come at the expense of our climate, our water, or our communities. Strong environmental review is not a barrier to innovation — it is a safeguard for the public good.

Sign this petition to demand climate accountability and community protections now.