Data center builds are on the rise across the country to power cloud computing and AI. Here’s how some local governments are taking action to ensure projects benefit the communities in which they are built.

The electricity needed to power new Pennsylvania data centers already in advanced stages of planning could power 11 million homes – nearly twice the total number of households in the state. Companies that want to build data centers to expand their cloud and artificial intelligence computing are drawn to Pennsylvania due to its proximity to major East Coast cities,

The rapid growth of Virginia’s data center industry was a key point of focus during the 2026 legislative session, as lawmakers sought to balance the sector’s benefits — including over $80 billion in

AES-256 remains the gold standard for high-stakes data encryption. While other, more lightweight and less-energy-intensive encryption methods do exist, they operate with multiple trade-offs in security, compliance and scalability. Many data centers are now therefore asking:

Candidates Bridget McCandless and Kevin King have both generally expressed support for the $150 billion AI data center coming to Independence.

Several local governments in Central Illinois are looking to create their own data center regulations as lawmakers have yet to take action regulating this emerging industry. Data centers are seen as key to fueling an AI revolution.

The East Whiteland Planning Commission on Monday stopped short of fully recommending that the township’s board of supervisors approve an amended plan that would increase the footprint of a data center to more than 1.

Michigan's Zoning Enabling Act doesn't allow local governments to ban data centers as a land use, but there are ways to constrain or regulate developments.

Places can ask for ways to share the economic upside beyond tax revenue, like setting aside new computing power from data centers for local entities.

Data centers are the backbone of the AI revolution. Explore if data center stocks are a good investment for your portfolio growth and insights on how to invest wisely.