Erin Brockovich Launches Texas Data Center Map, Urging Transparency Over Secrecy

Environmental activist Erin Brockovich launched a website mapping data center development and amplifying concerns from residents living near major projects across Texas and the nation.

“It was only a matter of time before famed environmental activist Erin Brockovich weighed in on Texas' growing data center boom”

Chron

Brockovich wrote on the site that “This MAP captures the real-world footprint of that race—revealing patterns of growth, conflict and uncertainty.”

Chron

In a Substack post, Brockovich said that after putting out a call for reports of data center-related issues in April, she received nearly 4,000 submissions in the first month alone.

She framed the effort as a push for transparency, writing that “The single most common concern — more than noise, more than water usage, more than rising utility bills — is the one word that keeps appearing in submission after submission: transparency.”

Chron reported that Brockovich launched the data center map on April 30 and that more than 2,716 reports have been submitted to her site since launching.

Chron said Texas leads all states with 612 reports, and it noted that many reports have stemmed from residents in Sulphur Springs, Texas, a city halfway between Dallas and Texarkana.

LinkedIn

The Chron report also described a 1,600-acre development led by MSB Global Services dubbed “The Matrix Center,” with 30 buildings hosting AI processing at the end of construction.

In the same Chron account, Brockovich said “The #1 concern continually reported is lack of TRANSPARENCY!” and listed recurring phrases including “silenced, ignored, secretive, back door deals, NDA, not seen and not heard.”

TechCrunch reported that Brockovich said she is not making a “making a blanket argument against data centers” or AI, but rather against “the pattern our map documents: projects announced after permits are already secured.”

“Environmental activist Erin Brockovich has a new mission: Bringing more transparency to data center construction and the impact those data centers have on nearby communities”

TechCrunch

TechCrunch added that she pointed to “developers who don’t return calls” and “local officials who signed NDAs before their neighbors knew a project was being considered.”

Chron said Brockovich’s website includes a community statistics page that breaks down reports by state, city and type of environmental concern, highlighting recurring issues raised by nearby residents.

Chron listed those recurring issues as water usage, energy consumption, noise pollution and mass scalability, and it quoted Brockovich telling followers that “Staying informed is the first step to protecting your community.”