Post Tagged with: "Data Center Community Relations"

Adam Waitkunas Catches Up With Bisnow About What Virginia’s Election Means For The Data Center Industry

Adam Waitkunas Catches Up With Bisnow About What Virginia’s Election Means For The Data Center Industry

In a post-election analysis, Bisnow spotlighted how data centers became an unexpected flashpoint in Virginia’s 2025 statewide races—culminating in Gov.-elect Abigail Spanberger’s win and renewed scrutiny on energy costs, siting, and who pays for grid upgrades. Adam Waitkunas told Bisnow the industry should view Virginia as a warning shot, noting that the record levels of data center–centric advertising during the campaign underscore just how politicized the sector has become. Check out the full article at […]

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Reflections on One Year of Zoning In

Reflections on One Year of Zoning In

12 Months That Made One Thing Clear: Data Center Community Engagement Is No Longer Optional –Adam Waitkunas What’s Changed—and What Developers Must Do Next Twelve months ago, we launched Zoning In to track the fast-evolving intersection of data centers, land use, and community relations. In that time, the landscape has only grown hotter: opposition is more organized, hearing rooms are packed, and narratives are shifting to include transparency, ownership structures, private equity, and even debates […]

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Zoning IN

Zoning IN

Amid headlines blaming AI for soaring power bills, a Berkeley Lab/Brattle analysis adds needed nuance: large loads can lower average rates where spare capacity exists, while aging infrastructure, wildfire mitigation, storms, and some mandate-driven procurement are major price drivers. Regulators and politicians are responding in real time: Virginia’s statewide races are now openly about who pays for grid growth, utilities are proposing special rate classes for hyperscale users, Michigan’s MPSC is weighing stricter IRP guardrails […]

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Zoning In

Zoning In

As local moratoria spread from Georgia to Virginia to the Midwest, a new AP–NORC poll reveals something striking: Americans are now more worried about the environmental impact of AI and data centers than they are about aviation, meat production, or cryptocurrency. This week’s Zoning In tracks a growing disconnect between industry momentum and community confidence. Dozens of projects remain paused or withdrawn amid questions about water, power, and transparency — from Jones County’s 90-day moratorium […]

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Milldam Public Relations Launches Community Risk & Readiness Assessment to Support Data Center Site Selection Process

Milldam Public Relations Launches Community Risk & Readiness Assessment to Support Data Center Site Selection Process

Proactive due diligence service helps developers and municipalities anticipate local sentiment early in the site selection process – reducing risk, delays, and community opposition before significant investments are made BOSTON–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Milldam Public Relations, a leading strategic communications firm specializing in the digital infrastructure sector, today announced the launch of its Data Center Community Risk & Readiness Assessment, a proactive due diligence service that helps data center developers, operators, and municipalities measure and interpret community sentiment before […]

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Zoning In

Zoning In

From Georgia to the Midwest, local governments are drawing hard lines around data center expansion — and this week, the pushback hit a new pitch. DeKalb County, Georgia extended its moratorium through mid-December while unveiling a detailed “tiered” rulebook that classifies projects as minor, major, or campus-scale and requires developers to submit comprehensive plans for noise, water, energy, transmission, and stormwater impacts. Meanwhile, St. Louis County Commissioner Ashley Grimm blasted fellow officials for signing nondisclosure […]

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Is Private Equity the Next Flashpoint for Data Center Opposition?

Is Private Equity the Next Flashpoint for Data Center Opposition?

Why Developers Must Factor Political Risk Into Community Relations and PR By Adam Waitkunas Private equity has become one of the most important growth drivers in the data center industry. In recent years, a flood of investment capital has fueled record-setting mergers, acquisitions, and development projects as the world races to build the infrastructure powering AI and the cloud. For data center operators and developers, this surge of investment has created extraordinary opportunities. But as […]

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Zoning In

Zoning In

This week’s Zoning In tracks a surge of new data center proposals—and growing resistance—stretching from Texas and Georgia to Wisconsin, North Carolina, Virginia, Kentucky, and beyond. Communities are raising alarms over water consumption, grid strain, noise, and transparency, prompting local officials to consider moratoria, tighten zoning rules, and even rescind prior approvals. At the same time, states like Missouri and Pennsylvania grapple with shielding ratepayers from rising energy costs while attracting billions in AI-driven investment. […]

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