The AI Data Center Boom and the Conflict with Industrialized Cities

Across the United States, a debate is intensifying over the construction of new AI data centers. While developers promise economic growth and job creation, many residents oppose these projects, citing significant environmental and energy concerns. In Philadelphia, activist Shawmar Pitts is leading the opposition. A resident of the Grays Ferry neighborhood, Pitts grew up near the East Coast's largest oil refinery, which closed in 2019 following an explosion. Through his work with the environmental justice group Philly Thrive, Pitts connected the chronic health issues suffered by his family and neighbors to the refinery's impact. "I read the information they had on the table about how living near the refinery affects you, and I’m looking at all the sicknesses on this paper, and I’m like, ‘My mother has this, my sister has that, my next-door neighbor suffers from this’ — every house, someone has something on that list," Pitts told TechCrunch. Now a managing co-director at Philly Thrive, Pitts is advocating for a moratorium on data center construction in Philadelphia. Although no formal proposals have been submitted, city officials have identified two potential sites: one in Northeast Philadelphia and another in the Grays Ferry neighborhood. This resistance reflects a broader national trend where residents in resource-constrained cities are pushing back against the expansion of AI infrastructure.