By Auzinea Bacon, CNN(CNN) — Tech giants are in a heated race to build data centers and dominate the AI landscape. It currently has 561 data centers in 23 markets, according to Data Center Map, which has tracked data centers since 2007. Oregon passed a bill requiring data centers to “pay for the actual strain they place on Oregon’s electrical grid.”And Microsoft recently said it would ask to pay higher electricity bills in areas where it builds data centers. And facilities like thermal plants that are used to support data centers also need water for cooling. It feeds into the larger question about whether data centers and American families can coexist in harmony, Hledik said.

Source: CNN January 18, 2026 17:26 UTC