Data centers are a polarizing topic in much of rural America. McKenzie Boyce, an assistant professor of agricultural economics at Oklahoma State University, talked about why data centers are such a big topic of conversation.
“I think for a number of reasons, but as we see data center development, or the demand for data center development, increasing across the country, these data centers need additional places to locate, and in a lot of rural areas, there’s obviously land available, and it can often be available at relatively lower costs. So, I think that’s one of the main reasons we’re seeing more attention to data centers in rural areas.”
Boyce said the centers can bring benefits and challenges to rural America and each community needs to evaluate the potential benefits and challenges
