Name: Data Center Environmental Impact Award

Years Awarded:

Type Awarded: Grant

Details: The continued construction of data centers across the United States has raised concerns among environmental advocates and community members about potential impacts on human health and wildlife ecosystems. Communities are often left to respond after development decisions have been made, when opportunities for mitigation are limited. Recipients of this award will engage in environmental research, documentation, and public education activities that may include: • Independent baseline documentation of environmental conditions in areas targeted for intensive industrial development (e.g., soundscapes, habitat stressors, and other measurable indicators appropriate to community scale work). • Public education and engagement, including accessible explanations, community briefings, and materials that help residents and decision-makers understand environmental and health impacts. • Policy and regulatory advocacy related to responsible data center development, especially standards and guardrails that reduce harm (setbacks, protection of wetlands and riparian buffers, environmental performance expectations, enforceable monitoring, and meaningful mitigation). • Open source resources that allow other communities to learn from Protect Stafford’s work and adapt tools for their own environmental protection work.

Status: Ongoing: Project to begin in February, 2026.