In Edgecombe County, a Fight Over Data Centers and Community Futures

Across the country, communities are confronting a new challenge: what happens when the growing demand for artificial intelligence infrastructure collides with local concerns about land, water, energy and quality of life?North Carolina is at the center of that debate, with at least 20 proposed data center projects across the state.In Edgecombe County, residents from across the community have come together to oppose plans for large-scale data center development. Many see echoes of an earlier fight that united local residents against a proposed industrial project in the 1990s.In this episode, we hear from community members organizing to stop the projects, explore their concerns about environmental impacts and economic benefits, and examine how a local dispute fits into a larger national conversation about the future of AI infrastructure.Guests:David Batts, candidate for Edgecombe County Commissioner, District 6Kevin Wilson, chair and co-founder, Edgecombe Neighbors for Data Center AccountabilityBriyana Baker, commissioner, Town of ConetoeDr. Erik Nordman, professor, Michigan State University and director of the Institute of Public UtilitiesSend us Fan MailSupport the showwww.shoresides.org