Einige Energieversorger nutzen bedeutende Domänen, um Land für Rechenzentren zu beschlagnahmen, was 70 % der Amerikaner sagen, nicht in meinem Hinterhof
https://fortune.com/2026/07/19/data-center-eminent-domain-public-use/
Einige Energieversorger nutzen bedeutende Domänen, um Land für Rechenzentren zu beschlagnahmen, was 70 % der Amerikaner sagen, nicht in meinem Hinterhof
https://fortune.com/2026/07/19/data-center-eminent-domain-public-use/
25 Kommentare
Then I think it’s about time we use eminent domain to seize the land back
Excerpts from article by Aaron Walayat:
*The artificial intelligence boom in the United States is being matched by a data center building boom. There are more than 3,000 data centers in the U.S. and another 1,500 in development, according to a Pew Research Center analysis.*
*While President Donald Trump has promoted AI advancement, calling it crucial to economic and national security, polling shows that 7 in 10 Americans oppose the construction of AI data centers in their communities, citing higher utility bills, pollution, noise and the loss of green space.*
*These centers, which hold computer servers that process words, images and lines of code for large language models such as ChatGPT, also use high amounts of water and electricity.*
*There is growing opposition to the infrastructure surrounding them, too, particularly the transmission lines needed to power them, which often must cross land belonging to private citizens.*
*[…] Data centers have massive power needs that can stress electrical grids and threaten their reliability. In 2024 they accounted for more than 4% of the nation’s total electricity use. Demand will grow as more are built.*
*To meet this demand, power companies must build more transmission lines – and acquire land to put them on. Across the U.S. – in states such as Georgia and Pennsylvania – power companies have looked to eminent domain to facilitate these goals.*
*Power companies can approach landowners to purchase easements for transmission lines; if landowners refuse, the government might force a sale.*
*The government may take private land without consent if the seizure is for “public use” and if the landowner is given “just compensation,” according to the takings clause of the Fifth Amendment of the U.S. Constitution.*
*While the federal government has the power to initiate eminent domain actions – also called condemnations – most are done by state and local governments.*
*Governments can also delegate this power to private entities or “common carriers,” such as power and water companies, though every state has its own rules for whether and how these utilities can exercise eminent domain.*
*[…] While property may be taken only for “public use,” the U.S. Supreme Court has interpreted that requirement permissively. In its 2005 Kelo v. City of New London decision, the court held that economic development qualified, allowing New London, Connecticut, to seize homes for private development around a Pfizer facility.*
*That redevelopment, however, never happened, and Pfizer eventually left New London.*
Can we just give them Nebraska? I’d be OK with turning over one of the Dakotas also, we don’t really need both of them.
I’m going to drop pillheads off from Kentucky to steal all the copper.
Time to remove all government “immunity” and eminent domain or letting them and their buddies “investigate” each other and then they keep their job and we the taxpayer aka their EMPLOYER keep footing the bill for THEIR actions and then they go onto Fox “News” and write a book. Every individual in our government who voted to approve data centers belongs in prison for their crimes against humanity! They cannot take back the many lives they have negatively affected and got sick! No more waiting around until they drag on to pay for their crimes and wait for everyone who was affected to pass away for them to start playing theatrics acting like they cared! That’s why their smugness! We act now not 60 years later!
Power companies are not using eminent domain, GOVERNMENT is. Our government has been quietly overthrown by corporate interests.
And of course they’re targeting rural areas because less people = less pushback. The sucky thing is that eminent domain is usually used to take an undeveloped portion of your property, worth a few thousand dollars, but they won’t pay you for the whole property. So not only do you have to live with the power line company constructing the towers and lines, then the constant buzz of the lines, then spraying a crap ton of herbicides to keep vegetation from growing, but your actual property value drops drastically and you could end up underwater on your mortgage or sell it for under what you owe.
I feel like the title is misleading. Private entities don’t use eminent domain. Governments use it for them. So stop the governments from using it by suing.
wouldn’t it…make more sense to get rid of these pesky commoners??
They can use this for data centers but not high speed rail
Maybe 70% of Americans should stop using AI.
I don’t condone this move, but some people need to wake up.
Look at Fortune, a generally pro-business propaganda rag, trying to co-opt the phrase „NIMBY“ to apply it to data centers like it’s equivalent to medium or high-density housing being swatted down by a bunch of persnickety boomers.
Subtle.
I feel like if you are a CEO trying to build infrastructure like this, and are using eminent domain to seize the land to build these structures, you should legally be required to install these next to yours homes first.
And who are the 30% in favor?
Oh yeah, them. It’s always them.
That’s another law we need to look at and change. The government or corps being able to take our land if we refuse to sell.. it’s BS.
I have 10 acres in rural US with cheapest electricity in America
Open to sell to data center for $25m
Any data center that gets built against the will of the people should be followed up with absurd taxation. Make all the “benefits” flow to the communities, if the data center cannot be dismantled.
Eminent domain needs to be reigned in. It should be for public infrastructure only. If the planned public work does not happen it goes back to the original owners for free.
PALANTIR WILL BE FED
Where’s the don’t tread on me folks
It’s adorable but also terrifying that people think we actually have a say in anything that happens now.
They won. We, the non-elites get to just watch them do whatever they want wherever they want for however long they want.
Unless we seriously mass-organize some sort of general strike, this is just how things will go from this point forward.
Unfortunately the elites have successfully convinced half the population to hate the other half and that standing up for yourself is ‚woke‘ and ‚left‘ which is apparently wrong.
Fuck me sideways that’s bad. If it’s for projects that serve the greater interest of a population, sure. This? No.
The article is paywalled. I’ve been thru eminent domain three times. I’m only speaking based on the state that I am in. I’ve read on this in Georgia.
Eminent domain in this situation is a state function. It must operate within the confines of state law. Georgia state law and previous court decisions seem to allow for Georgia power to take property for power lines.
The power grid is in need to upgrading. EVs, increased power efficiency, data centers are all reasons to update. DCs are the driving force, but the grid itself needs upgrades to improve power delivery. Look at your phone, your computer, your iPad, your tv, and your Tesla. We all use more power than 40 years ago and we will use more power in 40 years than we do today.
Typically, the people under the gun of power easements don’t go to land and land use attorneys and depend on the power company to be “fair” with them. The power company has no reason to be fair with them. This is a negotiation. Depending on the other side to be fair is literally like asking the fox to guard the hen house. Land use attorneys don’t need customers, so they aren’t out there chasing power company ambulances. It is up to a land owner to seek those land use attorneys out.
It is almost impossible to “win” an eminent domain lawsuit and make the other side go away. Government has vast powers in this area. This is one of the reasons I’ll never support the bs I hear from socialists and the democratic socialists. Their ideology says to put your trust in govt. bullshit. I’ve seen the absolute power corrupts absolutely. It doesn’t matter, republicans m democrats, whoever. Power corrupts and absolute power corrupts absolutely. Georgia is a republican state and Pennsylvania is a democratic state, yet both are doing the same thing.
Typically, fighting provides the most roi. In my state, eminent domain results in a jury trial. Juries don’t like eminent domain. Eminent domain win to power data centers is not going to get much love so I would expect a jury to award more money to a landowner. No one can help anyone that just rolls over and sells. I read that the land owner creating noise rolled over in Georgia. If someone makes a deal and signs off on it, that’s on them. That appears to have happened in Coweta county. What I would suggest people do is instead seek out appraisers and legal resources that can help them.
Data centers are incredibly speculative. It is entirely possible that the data centers will not be built given the amount of pushback that is occurring nationwide. There needs to be something about the land reverting to the previous landowners in the event the power, or whatever, isn’t used within ten years (or some timeframe).
70% ??? My guess its 100%
Data centers use 260 billion gallons of water per year and 63% of the USA is in drought.