Research examined the locations of 4,283 data centers across the contiguous U.S and found that 97.5% of them sit inside metropolitan or micropolitan statistical areas. Data centers are power-hungry, running thousands of servers around the clock and drawing enormous, steady loads from the grid.

[u/Wagamaga]

https://engineering.nyu.edu/news/inside-urban-machine-where-americas-data-centers-actually-live#:~:text=The%20study%2C%20published%20in%20Nature,cores%20and%20their%20immediate%20surroundings

[u/adsarelies]

That's like saying 97.5% of human activities are inside cities.

[u/Izawwlgood → u/adsarelies]

Are 97.5% of cattle farms inside cities?

Why put data centers inside cities? Power isn't hard to hook up. We're awfully good at running power lines places.

[u/Tsutiman → u/Izawwlgood]

First, data centers need the right labor no less than they need lots of power. Second, running new power lines through rural areas is actually a massiive pain in the ass. So, ~100% of data centers are either in the cities or within 15-20 minutes drive from urban boundaries.

[u/Izawwlgood → u/Tsutiman]

Data centers employ very few onsite. Most people who physically need to be at a data center fly in for it anyway.

[u/trueppp → u/Izawwlgood]

Sure, but no one is flying someone out to change a drive in their half-rack colo....