PLACEHOLDER FOR DRONE VIDEO An Amazon data center, currently under construction, is seen in Cuarte, Spain on September 29, 2026. The Spanish region of Aragon is seeing a huge surge in data center construction which has alarmed many local residents due to their high energy use, noise pollution and heat generation. Amazon alone is building 30 data center buildings, according to papers the company filed with the regional government. The Aragon regional government has offered Amazon, Microsoft, and other tech companies tax breaks to build there. Local residents say that the government has appropriate land agains the will of the owners to pave the way for the centers and their infrastructure to be built. (Photo by Michael Robinson Chávez for National Public Radio) Michael Robinson Chávez for NPR/for NPR hide caption
October 22, 2026 • A drought-stricken region of northeast Spain has become a focus for American companies searching for locations to place their data centers.
September 21, 2026 • With striking speed, the widespread debate around data centers has become a fault line in American communities, cutting across political parties and forging unexpected alliances.
Former sheriff's deputy Shannon McManus looks out over the data center project construction site in Boyce, La., last month. He's one of the local residents who has objected to nondisclosure agreements that kept negotiations for the project from the public. Jay Marcano for NPR hide caption
August 27, 2026 • Nondisclosure agreements covered up negotiations between a tech company and several local and state officials, surprising local residents. It's a tactic used around the country in data center deals.
