Researchers discuss how data center construction could influence voters and impact public land

The construction of new data centers is becoming a critical issue in the 2026 midterm elections. Both parties are distancing themselves from the project due to public opposition, leading to the suspension of numerous data center projects nationwide. Government officials are exploring innovative ways to build data centers, including utilizing federal lands and exchanging parkland for such developments.

In this interview, Hannah Wiseman, a legal expert at Penn State, and Derrick Taff, a park recreation specialist, discuss the potential challenges and controversies surrounding data center construction on federal land.

Wiseman highlights that data centers now predominantly develop in rural areas, with a majority emerging in counties without existing data center infrastructure. These hyperscale data centers, which occupy several thousand acres, consume vast amounts of energy and water, powering AI technologies. However, some residents question the necessity of these facilities, given that most people do not utilize AI for complex tasks in their daily lives.

Wiseman points out that the federal government issued an executive order in 2025, directing agencies to construct data centers on federal land expeditiously. One such approved data center exists on public lands managed by the Bureau of Land Management, though construction is currently halted. The government has also encouraged building data centers on polluted federal lands such as former military sites.

Wiseman argues that constructing data centers on unpolluted federal lands would contradict the purpose of federally protected areas, which include wilderness, recreation, and the preservation of cultural and aesthetic resources. These lands are intended for multiple uses, including economic development, and using them solely for data centers seems excessive.

Taff explains that national forests are managed by the Department of Agriculture, serving different purposes than national parks. Regulations in national forests permit recreation and resource extraction. However, data centers built in national forests could potentially impact adjacent national parks due to the lack of clear distinctions between the two.

Additionally, the construction of data centers would necessitate significant infrastructure and energy consumption, raising concerns about their impact on surrounding communities and the ecological health of national parks and forests. Taff emphasizes the need for further research before rushing into such developments, as the effects on the environment and local communities are still uncertain.