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Everyone is watching Elon Musk push X toward becoming the West’s super-app — but the real story sits behind the screen: the enormous energy footprint required to power the AI and real-time systems that make these ambitions possible. AI data centers now consume more electricity and water than many towns, and residents in strained regions are already feeling the impact through higher utility bills and tighter grid capacity. As Musk, OpenAI, Google, Meta, and other AI giants sca

Texas leads the U.S. in data center growth. While these facilities power AI and digital services, they also place growing demands on water and energy—raising concerns for everyday citizens and the national power grid.

Meta’s $400 billion AI investment, alongside Big Tech giants like Microsoft, is reshaping rural America. From data centers to small towns like Front Royal, this spending spree is transforming Main Street and the future of rural communities.

Data center infrastructure fueling AI workloads is rapidly expanding into rural areas, bringing heavy demands on water, power, and local governance. This growth often strains resources in small towns that lack the tools and policies to manage the environmental and social impacts.