Since Chat-GPT3.5 exploded on the scene in November 2022, the need for extremely large amounts of specialized computing power has increased exponentially. Hyperscale data centers use massive amounts of land and electricity to operate the servers that make generative AI possible. Yet more than 70% of Americans polled are opposed to local construction of data centers, citing environmental concerns about water use, electricity use, noise, light pollution, and land use. Many of the Clinic’s clients oppose the proposed construction of data centers locally for these same reasons and are interested in legal solutions.
In Summer 2026, the Clinic participated in WashU’s Center for the Environment Summer Research Program, sponsoring student Allison Millinger as they examined state-level legislation connected with the proliferation of hyperscale data centers. Their research demonstrates the popular turn against data centers. From 2024 – 2026, legislators proposed 259 bills related to data centers, with each year seeing more proposals than the last. In 2026 alone, legislators proposed 157 bills related to data centers, primarily focused on taxes and utilities, including water use. Millinger’s research will guide the Clinic’s advocacy work with clients by helping us identify strategies that have proven successful elsewhere.
