Data centers are a part of our future. So much of our daily lives now depend on digital infrastructure, from storing information in the cloud to using AI to make our days more productive. Our reliance on data centers is only growing, and the United States has an opportunity to harness all the benefits that come with that development.
Are we ready for it?
Yes, data centers need a lot of electricity to work their magic. But if we’re able to create a system of sustainable, reliable and financially fair power to support them, just look at the power our nation – and our local communities – receive in return.
Economic benefits
- U.S.-based data centers create high-paying technical jobs in rural communities where such opportunities wouldn’t otherwise be available.
- Companies from outside of the region (even outside of the U.S.) may be attracted to set up operations near data center-rich areas, boosting and diversifying the local economy.
- Data centers can actually stabilize local electric rates, as the data center carries more of the burden of the fixed costs of maintaining the area’s electric infrastructure.
National security benefits
- Hosting data domestically allows greater control over government and military data.
- Having data centers nearby offers stronger cybersecurity oversight.
- Ultimately, local data centers help us gain resilience in times of geopolitical tension.
Rural industry benefits
- Data center-driven AI is supporting higher levels of patient care in rural health care systems by allowing providers to do more with less.
- AI is also leveling up the precision of agriculture, enhancing local yields and creating safer farm environments.
- Weather forecasting also benefits from AI, an effect that ripples out to flood control, aviation, agriculture, unmanned aerial systems and other industries important to North Dakota and Minnesota.
We need to be ready for the promise of data centers. We need REAL POWER NOW.
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