Computer Says Maybe NYC Live: Let Them Eat Compute
Oct 2, 2025
KD Minor, Community Solutions Manager at the Alliance for Affordable Energy, reveals how data centers strain Louisiana's energy resources and discusses strategies to mobilize community action. KeShaun Pearson, a community organizer with Memphis Community Against Pollution, highlights the harmful effects of Elon Musk's xAI facilities on predominantly Black neighborhoods and the fight for public health. The conversation delves into corporate accountability, environmental racism, and the need for grassroots organizing to protect communities from the tech industry's unchecked expansion.
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Local Impacts, Global Pattern
- Data center fights are global but rooted in local, material impacts like water and power stress.
- Organizers are shifting toward structural legal and policy strategies rather than ad-hoc local wins.
Secrecy In Big Tech Deals
- Secrecy and redacted filings are common in large data center deals, blocking community scrutiny.
- Utilities and regulators often rush approvals and allow bypassing standard procurement safeguards.
How Tucson’s Coalition Began
- Marisol described founding No Desert Data Center after a county vote pushed the group into action.
- The coalition grew from 20 people and used canvassing and outreach to mobilize broad public opposition.