Every time you post to a social media account, use an AI tool like ChatGPT, or stream your favorite show or movie, you’re using a data center. Data centers are the 24/7 technology infrastructure that makes our modern world possible. The rapid rise of generative AI in recent years has accelerated the need for data centers nationwide.

Public discourse around data centers has become increasingly polarized. Some advocate for rapid expansion of the number and location of data centers, while others call for halting development altogether. This divide has made it difficult for policymakers and the public to develop a clear, grounded understanding of the issue.

This brief seeks to provide a basic understanding of data centers so that voters and policymakers can make better-informed, more thoughtful policy decisions.