With Black communities historically and disproportionately affected by the effects of climate change, justice leaders note their voices are essential in conversations about the present and future of environmental policy.
At the Congressional Black Caucus Foundation (CBCF) 55th Annual Legislative Conference (ALC), held Sept. 16-20, decision-makers and industry leaders on energy policy and environmental justice gathered to discuss what’s at stake in the fight to preserve and sustain Earth. Many noted that, in a country where utility costs are skyrocketing alongside the surge in artificial intelligence (AI) technology and infrastructure, and where the energy grid is strained, leaders and corporations must be held accountable for decisions that affect the communities they serve and operate in.
Further, speakers emphasized the need for leaders across industries to work together because without adequate protections— especially in a time when environmental initiatives and funding are being rolled back— the nation could be at great risk.
“We should be working in collaboration and set up standards,” Rep. Troy Carter (D-L.A.) told The Informer. “I don’t want to race with anybody who’s racing in the wrong direction. I want to make sure that we get it right… [and] taking into consideration the concerns of the American people.”
With record-breaking summer temperatures driving higher cooling demand, and data centers creating heat islands and consuming approximately 4.4% of U.S. energy supply, residents across the nation have been burdened with higher utility costs year after year. A recent Bank of America report found that in August, energy bill inflation was around 4% year-over-year (YoY), with utility payments rising more than 10% YoY in cities with large Black populations like Detroit, Baltimore and Washington.
Instances like these, climate activists explain, call for extensive advocacy and a widespread commitment to environmental justice from residents and leaders, and a sense of responsibility from industries and corporations to provide aid and relief to the communities they affect. Through effective collaboration, ALC speakers and attendees noted, the public can start to build trust with lawmakers and developers.
“If residents don’t feel safe in their homes, if they don’t feel safe drinking the water, that’s not a first world country that’s leading the world and showing what America could be,” said Jerome Foster II, a native Washingtonian and environmental activist. “That’s showing that we are continuing to be great at continuing to leave communities behind.”
Tech Companies to Consider Community Needs
Richland Parish, located in the North Louisiana Delta Country, is home to Hyperion, Meta’s largest AI data center campus. In July, the tech company announced plans to invest $50 billion to expand the property to nearly 10 million square meters and five gigawatts of computing power. The project will support 7,500 construction jobs and 1,000 operational jobs.
Meta president and vice-chair Dina Powell-McCormick acknowledges the responsibility to make communities like those living in the rural parish comfortable with such developments by taking the initiative to listen and respond to residents’ concerns. A way the company has helped support the people living near Hyperion is by paying for its own electricity in a notion to help drive down residential energy costs.
“Louisiana taught us how to build data centers all around the country,” Powell-McCormick said. “Energy is many forms, and the power behind it could be the power that drives an entire generation of new generation of jobs in the country.”
The transparency and attention to the area’s needs taken into consideration when initially building and later expanding this campus can serve as a lesson to other corporations around the nation, especially when projects like these are located in or near minority communities.
Microsoft is also committed to building AI infrastructure that takes into account its effect on the residents who live near its data centers. In January, the company announced its Community First pledge– a five-point plan declaring a dedication to being a “good neighbor” and partnering with locals.
In the plan, the company promises the following: to pay utility rates that will cover its consumption costs and not raise residents’ energy bills; to minimize water use and replenish local watersheds; create jobs; refuse tax abatements; and invest in local AI training and nonprofits. Through plans like this, tech companies can change what AI infrastructure looks like and advance the coexistence of industry and community.
“All development isn’t good development,” Carter told The Informer. “We know that data centers are essential, but they’re not essential in the way they’re presented. You’ve got to take consideration of the community.”
Pushing for change and consideration, experts and policymakers said, starts at the ground level, where residents are advocating for themselves, unafraid to dissent from things they don’t agree with and being able to trust their legislators will have their best interests at heart. For that trust to build, activists explain, leaders must listen with open minds and build bridges between local communities and large corporations while doing what will most benefit the areas they oversee and the people who live there.
Moreover, climate advocates at the annual conference noted an urgency to build up the next generation of people working to preserve the planet, particularly at a time when the Trump administration has dissolved agencies and programs meant to protect the American people and environment.
“Young people should be involved in every stage,” said Foster. “If we’re silent, we’re not considered.”
