Over the past five years, the American landscape has experienced a significant transformation driven by the rapid expansion of data centers required to support the growing demand for artificial intelligence (AI) and cloud computing. One notable example is a site near Memphis that was once forested but is now home to Colossus 2, the nation’s largest operating data center. Owned by Elon Musk’s artificial intelligence company xAI, the facility is distinguished by rooftop signage that mocks Microsoft, highlighting the competitive nature of the tech industry’s infrastructure race.

Across the United States, forested, agricultural, and desert areas are being cleared to accommodate a surge in data center construction. The country currently hosts nearly 100 hyperscale data centers—facilities that consume at least 100 megawatts of electricity at peak capacity, enough to supply power to roughly 80,000 homes. An additional 120 hyperscale centers are under construction, with about 460 more planned, according to Cleanview, a market intelligence firm tracking the sector’s growth.

While approximately 40 percent of existing hyperscale data centers occupy previously developed land, the majority have replaced farmland, shrubland, or forest. Traditionally, data centers were concentrated in wealthier metropolitan and urban hubs, which offer established power infrastructure and high-speed internet connectivity. However, the increasing electricity demands of AI-focused operations, driven by energy-intensive specialized chips, are pushing developers toward rural areas where land and power costs are lower yet still supported by fiber-optic internet lines.

Utilities in these rural regions often face constraints in accommodating the vast energy needs of data centers. To address concerns about electricity supply and potential cost increases for consumers, some facilities are incorporating on-site power generation. For example, Musk’s SpaceX—merged earlier this year with xAI—constructed Colossus 2 adjacent to an existing gas power plant in Memphis. The site is supported by large battery arrays intended to stabilize power during peak usage. However, Colossus 2 currently runs on temporary gas turbines, which generate higher pollution levels compared to grid electricity. This has sparked complaints from residents near SpaceX’s older Memphis data center, Colossus, over emissions from on-site generators. SpaceX did not respond to requests for comment on the issue.

Unlike earlier generations of data centers, which typically occupied a single building in urban locations, modern hyperscale centers are sprawling complexes. These facilities often start with one structure but expand over time to include multiple large buildings. For instance, Meta is developing a data center campus called Hyperion on rural land in Louisiana that will surpass Colossus 2 in size, exceeding even the area of Manhattan’s Central Park. According to Cleanview, however, if all currently planned projects are completed as scheduled, the Hyperion campus will rank only as the fifth largest data center in the U.S. by 2030.

As AI and digital services continue to proliferate, the footprint of data center infrastructure is reshaping rural and urban landscapes alike, raising questions about environmental impacts, energy consumption, and community relations surrounding these massive technological hubs.