Energy
The huge data centers being built in the race to scale AI consume massive amounts of energy—driving up electricity costs while making it harder to meet our clean energy goals and maintain grid reliability. We are already seeing a surge in greenhouse gas emissions because of new gas power plants and diesel generators and delayed decommissioning of coal plants to power data centers.
Water and Natural Resources
Data centers typically demand large volumes of water, especially when powered with fossil fuels. This can deplete regional and local water resources and strain local drinking water supply—particularly concerning in areas facing water scarcity. These facilities also require significant land, which can displace agricultural, ecological, and community uses and reshape local landscapes.
Public Health
Fossil fuels, including those used for primary and backup power generation for data centers, harm public health through air and water pollution. The cradle-to-grave public health impacts of data centers themselves are substantial, from wastewater produced in mining to the generation of e-waste.
Economics
Corporations are shifting the costs of powering their data centers onto regular customers, driving up electric bills when Americans can least afford it. Meanwhile, data centers often get big tax breaks in return for mostly temporary jobs, threatening long-term economic resiliency particularly in communities with a history of extractive boom-and-bust industries.
A Better Way
But these outcomes are not inevitable: corporations building data centers can pay their fair share of energy costs, catalyze clean energy development, minimize water and natural resource impacts, operate with transparency, and work in partnership with communities to provide proportional economic and other benefits that address local priorities.
To reach these outcomes, the communities most impacted must have access to information and be involved in decisions affecting them. Unfortunately, basic project information including water use, energy source, and costs is often shielded from the public as trade secrets. We believe there’s a better path forward.
The unprecedented buildout of data centers in the race to scale AI is fundamentally reshaping local economies, environments, and energy systems. Communities have a right to determine if and how these data centers are developed and powered.
Vision
We envision a world where all people have access to clean air, clean water, and affordable energy—and where infrastructure projects are developed in partnership with communities to make that happen.
Values
Transparency and just decision-making
People deserve access to complete and accurate information about proposed data center developments—including energy and water use, economic incentives, rate increases, public health impacts, and local job creation. Those most impacted by data centers and their associated energy infrastructure should shape decisions about if and how development occurs.
People first
The wellbeing of people, communities, and the planet is more important than corporate profits. Corporations should pay full and fair costs of building and operating data centers and their associated energy infrastructure rather than having their bills paid by working class people.
Sustainable economic development
Economic development—including data center development—should align with and fully invest in community priorities, build long-term resilience, and create quality jobs. Communities should not be saddled with polluting power plants and extractive deals that give corporations huge economic incentives in return for minimal local benefits and few permanent jobs.
Responsible water and land use
Water is a human right. When data centers are built, they should have neutral or positive impacts on water quality and availability. Data centers should be sited to avoid or minimize harm to water and other natural and cultural resources.
Healthy environments and a liveable planet
Everyone should have access to clean air and a stable climate. Data centers should not use fossil fuels for power and should instead advance progress towards clean energy, climate, and public health goals.
About Us
As former federal workers dedicated to continuing public service, we founded the Better Data Center Project (BDCP) because we believe that human connection and community power are both the building blocks for a strong democracy and the answer to one of the most urgent issues of our time: the rapid buildout of data centers and their climate, economic, social, health, and environmental impacts.
Sarah K. Friedman, JD – Co-Founder
Sarah has 20 years of experience supporting communities navigating climate infrastructure development through negotiations, legal, organizing and strategy support.
At the US Department of Energy (DOE), she served as a Senior Advisor to the Under Secretary for Infrastructure, where she worked to implement community benefits for a range of technologies in a $100 billion portfolio. Prior work included negotiating first of their kind community benefit agreements, leading Sierra Club’s national renewable energy siting and transmission policy, and working as a renewable energy project finance attorney on the largest wind, solar, and geothermal projects of their time.
Sarah holds a JD from the University of Pennsylvania and a BA in History from the University of Oregon.
Catherine Casomar, PhD – Co-Founder
Catherine has 15 years of experience in energy and climate and a decade operationalizing equity and justice across sectors.
As Director of the Community and Jobs team at DOE’s Office of Clean Energy Demonstrations, Catherine ensured clean energy and climate infrastructure projects worth over $85 billion delivered local community benefits and quality jobs. Prior roles included leading environmental justice portfolios in DOE and the US Senate, research to advance cheap next-generation solar cells, community organizing for racial and economic justice, and mechanical engineering on a variety of energy generation technologies.
Catherine holds a PhD in Materials Science from the University of Minnesota and a BSE in Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering from Princeton University.
In November, BDCP was selected as a recipient of the J.M.K. Innovation Prize—awarded to ten early-stage projects tackling urgent issues in social justice, the environment, and heritage conservation. The J.M. Kaplan Fund provides catalytic funding and support over three years.
Learn more about the prize