Then came the revelation: a sprawling data center campus had quietly consumed nearly 30 million gallons of water through unbilled pipes, the equivalent of 44 Olympic-sized swimming pools, with local utilities treating the corporate giant like a favored partner rather than a rule-breaker.
This episode in Fayetteville, just south of Atlanta, exposes a troubling pattern. As Big Tech and private equity pour billions into data centers to power the artificial intelligence boom, everyday Americans bear the costs in strained infrastructure, higher bills, and diminished resources. Local officials, eager for tax revenue, bend rules while preaching sacrifice to citizens. The result is not progress but a stark reminder that when unelected corporations and compliant bureaucrats set priorities, communities pay the price.