Digital Download: Stewardship & Data Centers: The Hidden Engines of Our Digital Lives

By Delegate Cliff Hayes Jr.

We may not see them, but data centers touch nearly every part of our lives.  Every text we send, photo we store, or movie we stream travels through one of these vast digital warehouses.  As our appetite for technology grows, so does the demand for the infrastructure that keeps it all running.

Consumers, not corporations, are the real drivers of this boom.  The rise of telehealth, online education, remote work, and artificial intelligence has created an unrelenting need for computing power.  Data centers make that possible, helping expand broadband access, support public services, and strengthen local economies. Many communities now view them as 21st-century engines for jobs and tax revenue.

Still, the growth comes with challenges.  Data centers consume large amounts of electricity to power servers and keep them cool.  In some regions, that strain raises questions about grid reliability and energy affordability.  Cooling systems can also use vast quantities of water, putting pressure on local resources during dry seasons.

Nearby residents have their own worries.  For example, noise from generators, light pollution, and changing landscapes that alter property values or rural character.  Communities and utilities must also decide who pays for new substations and power lines.

Balancing these interests requires smart policies: locating facilities in suitable zones, encouraging renewable energy use, sharing infrastructure costs fairly, and engaging the public early in the process.  Our digital future depends not just on how much data we store, but on how wisely we power, cool, and share it.

As data centers multiply, the conversation isn’t about stopping progress.  It really is about shaping it responsibly.  The choices we make today will determine whether this digital growth strengthens communities or overwhelms them.  Just as all revolutions of decades past, in the end, we will be good stewards.