Erin Brockovich launches data center transparency map

Erin Brockovich, the environmental advocate famously depicted by Julia Roberts in a film about her legal fight against Pacific Gas & Electric, has introduced a new website that features a map detailing data centers throughout the United States. This map, which she calls a 'work in progress,' is based on data centers reported by the community. In a post on Substack, Brockovich mentioned that after her April appeal for information regarding data center issues, she received nearly 4,000 submissions in just the first month. The primary concern highlighted was a lack of transparency, which outpaced issues like noise, water consumption, and increasing utility costs. Brockovich emphasized that her opposition is not towards data centers or AI itself, but rather the trend of projects being announced post-permit approval, developers failing to respond, and local officials signing NDAs before communities are notified.