Seeking sources for feature about data centers/the new American land boom Hi! I’m a reporter working on a feature about a growing U.S. land boom driven not by housing or population growth, but by demand for data centers, cloud computing, AI infrastructure, and the energy and water resources they require. I’m looking to speak with sources who have firsthand knowledge of land acquisition, infrastructure planning, or local impacts tied to large-scale computing facilities. On-the-record and background conversations are welcome. I’d love to hear from: Local or state officials involved in zoning, permitting, utilities, or water rights related to data centers Landowners, ranchers, or residents in Nevada, Arizona, Texas, Utah, or similar rural-west locales who have sold land or live near proposed/existing facilities Energy, grid, or water experts who can speak to the resource demands of data centers Infrastructure investors, planners, and consultants (current or former!) involved in site selection Researchers or historians familiar with land use, extraction, or infrastructure-first development The story examines how this present-day land rush differs from past American booms and “westward ho” style pushes—prioritizing electricity, water, and fiber over towns or jobs. Thanks.

I've been tracking commercial real estate trends across the mid-Atlantic for nearly 40 years, and what you're describing mirrors what we saw with industrial real estate during COVID--except the data center boom is more resource-intensive and less transparent to local communities. The difference is these facilities don't create the jobs or foot traffic that traditional development does. One thing we learned from the industrial surge is that communities often don't realize what they're getting until it's too late. In Maryland, we've seen how warehouses transformed rural areas, but at least those facilities employed people and generated visible economic activity. Data centers are essentially utility infrastructure disguised as development--they consume massive amounts of power and water but contribute minimal tax revenue or employment relative to their footprint. From a CRE perspective, the most interesting parallel is how this resembles the life sciences buildout in Montgomery County that I mentioned in our recent analysis. Over 3 million square feet of speculative space was built during the pandemic based on optimistic projections, and now vacancy rates exceed 25%. The AI/data center rush feels similar--lots of land acquisition based on projected demand that may not materialize at expected levels. If you want to understand the local impact side, I'd recommend talking to county economic development offices in Northern Virginia's "Data Center Alley" (Loudoun and Prince William Counties). They've been ground zero for this for over a decade and can speak to the actual tax revenue, employment, and infrastructure strain versus what was initially promised.

"I've been tracking the 'Silicon Prairie' expansion from a unique angle: how AI infrastructure is forcing a re-zoning of the American West that prioritizes megawatts over municipalities. At Tecnologia Geek, we've analyzed how the race for 'sovereign AI' and data sovereignty is driving a land rush in Texas and Arizona where the 'citizen' is no longer the resident, but the server rack. I can speak to the infrastructure-first development shift—where fiber optics and water cooling rights are now more valuable than traditional agricultural or residential zoning. We are seeing a 'Digital Extraction' era where data centers aren't just facilities; they are the new utility hubs that determine which rural towns survive and which become ghost towns for the sake of the grid. Happy to chat about the geopolitical and local resource friction this boom is creating."

I can contribute on background or on the record from the infrastructure investor / site-selection angle (licensed investment banker and REALTOR doing large land and development projects). We're seeing a clear land rush tied to power, water, and fiber adjacency, not population growth. Specifically, I've worked with buyers evaluating rural parcels in Texas, Arizona, and Utah where the land itself is secondary to: proximity to transmission lines and substations, water rights or reclaimed-water access, speed of zoning and permitting at the county level. In multiple deals, land that was previously "uninvestable" farmland traded at premiums once it sat inside a viable power corridor. Unlike past booms, jobs follow years later—if at all; capital commits once utilities and entitlements are secured. Happy to speak further or connect you with grid consultants and landowners we've worked alongside.