What comes after the data center backlash?

In their early days, data centers were largely welcomed by communities who saw their arrival as an economic boost. Today as concerns around noise levels, power prices, water use, and AI grow, they face fierce opposition. In this episode, Shayle speaks to Brian Janous, co-founder and chief commercial officer of Cloverleaf Infrastructure. Together, they unpack the data center backlash and explore how the industry can approach the problem differently. Shayle and Brian dive into specifics like: - Communities’ shift from “red carpets to pitchforks” on data center development - How misleading information about data center energy and water usage has led to the AI sector losing the public relations battle - Distinctions between data centers’ micro-level benefits and macro-level price inflation on power grids - The potential, and pitfalls, of "bring-your-own-capacity" and behind-the-meter generation - The viability of taking data centers off-grid, off-land, or off-planet - The emerging market for distributed edge compute facilities Resources: - Catalyst: When to colocate data centers with generation - Catalyst: Explaining the ‘Watt-Bit Spread’ - Open Circuit: The off-grid data center fantasy - Open Circuit: Utilities are in the crosshairs of the data center backlash - Latitude Media: In Indiana, an anatomy of data center opposition Credits: Hosted by Shayle Kann. Produced and edited by Max Savage Levenson. Original music and engineering by Sean Marquand. Stephen Lacey is our executive editor. Catalyst is brought to you by EnergyHub. Peak season puts every grid to the test — and the utilities that pass are the ones that built flexible capacity before they needed it. EnergyHub works with more than 170 utilities to coordinate 2.5 million devices and 3.4 gigawatts of dispatchable flexibility through a single platform designed to perform when it counts most. See what that looks like at https://www.energyhub.com/ Catalyst is brought to you by Bloom Energy. Bloom Energy fuel cells deliver affordable, ultra-reliable onsite power for hospitals, utilities, and data centers – at speed and at scale. Learn more by visiting BloomEnergy.com. This episode of Catalyst is brought to you by ENGIE, the smarter energy supplier. ENGIE doesn't just provide the power to run your business — they supply the energy to move it forward, with reliable, flexible solutions built for what's next. Learn more at engieresources.com.