Mark Cuban shared a 10-point checklist for towns getting their first data center
Cuban urged towns to demand enforceable protections from data centers, emphasizing oversight, water, and noise limits before approval.
Local governments should demand enforceable protections before approving data centers, according to a 10-point checklist shared by billionaire Mark Cuban on social media. Cuban believes towns have more negotiating power than they realize when it comes to AI data centers. His playbook advises towns to set limits on water usage, noise, backup power, and infrastructure costs, as well as require independent oversight, measurable financial commitments, and remedies for broken promises.
Cuban recommends towns hire their own legal and technical advisors, assess the full build-out, and obtain guarantees from financially stable parent companies. He specifically warns about water consumption, stating that closed-loop cooling systems still use water during hot weather and that conventional noise limits may not capture the low-frequency hum from cooling equipment.
Cuban also asks towns to secure decommissioning funds and cash escrow before construction begins to protect residents against stranded infrastructure costs. The tech entrepreneur has previously cautioned about the data-center boom, urging communities to pursue operators who break the law or cause damage, and suggesting taxing them for damages.
Recent surveys show public opposition to data centers, with 71% of Americans opposing their construction in their communities, compared to 53% who oppose nuclear power plants.
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