Data Centers vs. The Wild

Explore the state-by-state map

Switch between the overall Environmental Pressure Index and the individual data points behind it. Hover or tap a state for a quick snapshot.

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Top 5 states by Environmental Pressure Index

State rankings

Compare how data center development, listed species, forest cover and drought pressure shape each state’s overall score.

Rank	State	Data Centers	Endangered Species	Forest Cover (%)	DSCI Score	Environmental Pressure Index

Ground-Level Impact

While our Environmental Pressure Index maps the systemic threat, these visualizations show illustrative examples of the types of landscape, habitat and water pressures associated with large-scale infrastructure expansion.

Illustrative Shenandoah Valley scene with a cleared power line corridor running through forest

Before

After

Shenandoah Valley, Virginia

High-voltage corridors through the Blue Ridge.

The Blue Ridge mountains are meant to be wild, but to keep our digital world running, we are carving high-voltage power lines right through the heart of these forests. This turns a living, breathing canopy into a scarred path of steel and dirt. As a 2026 report from the National Parks Conservation Association warns, this kind of rapid expansion is fragmenting wildlife habitats across the Mid-Atlantic, forcing us to trade our national heritage for more server capacity.

Illustrative Vogel State Park scene showing warmer water pressure and algae growth

Before

After

Vogel State Park, Georgia

Cooling demand and water stress.

Vogel State Park sits in the North Georgia mountains, where forests, lake habitat and cold-water streams depend on a careful water balance. Data centers can put that balance under pressure. They pull in large volumes of water to keep servers cool, then can return warmer water to local systems. According to 2026 field research from the University of Georgia, this kind of artificial heat can lower water quality, stress aquatic life and increase the risk of harmful algae growth. For places built around clean water and mountain habitats, that pressure matters.

Illustrative Joshua Tree desert scene with large-scale energy and industrial development

Before

After

Joshua Tree, California

Industrial energy buildout on fragile desert ground.

Joshua Tree is famous for its stark beauty and the ancient, twisted trees that have stood for centuries. But the desert floor is a fragile, living surface that takes decades to recover from even a single disturbance. Now, we are scraping these plains flat to build massive industrial power stations. The National Park Service has identified industrial energy development as a threat to Joshua Tree’s long-term survival, putting more pressure on a landscape that has existed for thousands of years.

Image disclaimer: These before-and-after visuals are illustrative scenarios, not documented photography of actual data center damage at these locations. They are designed to show the types of landscape fragmentation, water stress and habitat disturbance that can be associated with large-scale data center infrastructure, based on the sources cited above.

Methodology

Outforia created this index to compare where data center activity may overlap with existing environmental pressure at state level. The ranking combines a state-level data center count with three environmental indicators: threatened and endangered species, forest cover and drought pressure.

What went into the index

1. Data center countWe used Data Center Map to count total data centers by state. This replaced the original Pew table after review, because the Pew extract only covered a small subset of facilities. This input is used as the development pressure signal in the final score.

2. Threatened and endangered speciesWe counted federally listed threatened and endangered species by state using U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service ECOS state listing totals.

3. Forest coverWe used the USDA Forest Service Forest Inventory and Analysis report for forest-cover percentages. Forest cover was included as a habitat exposure signal. A higher forest-cover percentage is not treated as bad on its own, but it can indicate more natural landscape that may be sensitive to large infrastructure expansion.

4. Drought pressureWe used the U.S. Drought Monitor’s Drought Severity and Coverage Index, which runs from 0 to 500. Higher values indicate more widespread or more severe drought conditions.

How the score was calculated

Each input was converted to a comparable 0 to 100 scale so that states could be compared fairly across different types of data.

The three environmental indicators were averaged to create an environmental vulnerability base score. The data center count score was then applied as a development pressure multiplier.

Environmental Pressure Index = environmental vulnerability base × data center development multiplier.

Important context: This index is designed to compare state-level environmental pressure signals in a simple, journalist-friendly way. It highlights where data center activity may overlap with existing pressures on wildlife, forests and water resources. Individual projects can vary widely by location, design, water use, mitigation and local permitting.

Sources

Data centers: Data Center Map state-level data center counts.
Threatened and endangered species: U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service ECOS state listing totals.
Forest cover: USDA Forest Service Forest Inventory and Analysis report.
Drought pressure: U.S. Drought Monitor Drought Severity and Coverage Index data, using the latest state reading available for this study: June 9, 2026.

The ranking excludes states with no qualifying data center count in the Data Center Map input. These states are shaded gray on the map: Hawaii, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, and Vermont.