‘The digital colonization of flyover states’: how datacenters are tearing small-town America apart
The rapid rollout of datacenters across the US is creating a divide between municipal governments and residents. Wilmington, Ohio, resident Quintin Koger Kidd was so concerned last June with his local public officials’ alleged misdoings – open meeting violations and other discrepancies – that he filed a complaint in court to have the mayor and city council members removed from their posts. The Gueardian.
Although digital platforms often seem invisible, they depend on physical infrastructure such as data centers, which require land, electricity, water, and government approval. This means the article is not only about technology, but also about economics, the environment, and politics.
As you read, consider the different interests in conflict. Some people see data centers as a source of growth and investment, while others worry about environmental impact, land use, and local decision-making. The article invites you to think about how technological change affects both communities and the resources they depend on.
Read the article in the Guardian and answer the following questions:
Core comprehension questions
- What is the central conflict in Wilmington, Ohio?
- Why are some residents angry with local officials?
- What benefits do supporters or developers claim the data center will bring?
- What specific burdens or risks do opponents mention?
- Why does the phrase “digital colonization” matter rhetorically?
International Examples of Data Center Conflicts
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United Kingdom – Reuters reported on protests against AI-driven data-center expansion, with critics raising concerns about climate goals, farmland, water use, and pressure on the national grid. Reuters
- USA -Showdown over datacenter politics at heart of North Carolina primary Democratic rematch in Durham-area district draws focus to fight over AI datacenters increasingly shaping US elections. The Guardian
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Uruguay – Reuters reported public concern over Google’s proposed facility in Canelones, especially because of its projected water use in a country already facing water stress. Reuters
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Chile – Reuters reported that Google redesigned its Santiago data-center project after environmental concerns and legal scrutiny related to drought and pressure on local water resources. Reuters
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Ireland – AP reported that data centers were using 21% of the country’s electricity, leading to limits on new Dublin-area connections and growing local resistance. AP News
Divide the articles ablove in your group and answer the following questions:
Group task
Each member of the groups answers:
- What resource is most contested in this case: land, water, electricity, tax revenue, or political process?
- What benefits are promised?
- What harms are feared?
- How similar is this case to the Ohio case?
- What seems to change from country to country, and what stays the same?
Vocabulary and concepts
Explain this concepts:
- infrastructure
- zoning
- tax abatement
- rezoning
- aquifer
- grid capacity
- public consultation
- environmental review
- rhetoric
- stakeholder
- trade-off
- externality
Group task
Each group answers:
- What resource is most contested in this case: land, water, electricity, tax revenue, or political process?
- What benefits are promised?
- What harms are feared?
- How similar is this case to the Ohio case?
- What seems to change from country to country, and what stays the same?
Then groups report out.
Comparative synthesis discussion
Bring the class together and ask:
- Is the real conflict about technology, or about governance?
- Why do companies often promise jobs, while critics argue the benefits are overstated?
- Why do these disputes often become arguments about who gets heard in decision-making?
- Should essential digital infrastructure be treated like roads and railways, or like factories and heavy industry?
- Are data centers a public necessity, a private convenience, or both?
Essay questions
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To what extent should local communities be able to block large data-center developments? Use evidence from the Guardian article and at least one international example.
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Are data centers being presented honestly as engines of local development, or are their benefits often overstated?
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Which is the greater issue in these cases: environmental strain or democratic process? Defend your answer with evidence.
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Does the phrase “digital colonization” accurately describe what is happening in these communities? Explain.
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Should governments place stricter national rules on data-center development rather than leaving decisions mainly to local authorities?