Stories
Read cross-border reporting from ERC partner newsrooms covering data-center policy, extraction, and community resistance.
The AI Thirst Trap: Surge in Data Centers Adding To "Global Water Bankruptcy"
Water is a huge component of data center operations. In the race to become the next global data center hub, however, we look at questions being raised in India, Brazil, Spain and France about who's keeping tabs on the ever-increasing water use.
27 February 2026
Read storyThe Data Center Fever and the Mirage of Jobs
Hyperscale data centers swoop in with promises of jobs and prosperity. But for many communities that must live alongside these massive data centers, the shine often masks a different reality.
2 March 2026
Read storyWill Brazil's AI City power up LATAM's AI aspirations or shock a heavily loaded energy grid?
One of Brazil's — and Latin America's — largest planned data center projects is set to connect to the national grid. But questions arise over its authorized energy capacity, with local communities and energy experts warning it could strain an already fragile power distribution system.
27 February 2026
Read storyBrazil's AI City: In a flood-risk state, who gets the higher ground?
As many families in and around Eldorado do Sul — including Brazil's Indigenous communities— relocate or remain fearful following the devastation of the 2024 floods, an ambitious hyperscale data center is coming up on one of the flood-free lands.
2 March 2026
Read storyMaior data center da América do Sul terá licenciamento simplificado no RS
The Rio Grande do Sul government has promised streamlined environmental licensing for the 5 GW Scala AI City in Eldorado do Sul — South America's largest planned data center — bypassing the standard Environmental Impact Study.
((o))eco / Ambiental Media · 22 March 2026
Read at ((o))eco / Ambiental Media (in Portuguese) ↗