Steven Rinella talks with journalist Ann Vaughan about the costs of data centers on water, energy, and the land. Connect with Steve and The MeatEater Podcast Network Steve on Instagram and Twitter MeatEater on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube Connect with Steve and The MeatEater Podcast Network: https://www.youtube.com/@MeatEaterPodcastNetwork Steve on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/stevenrinella/?hl=en Check out the gear the MeatEater Crew uses in the field here: https://store.themeateater.com Follow us: Web: https://www.themeateater.com Instagram: https://instagram.com/meateater Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/StevenRinellaMeatEater Chapters: 00:00 The Cloud Is a Building: What a Data Center Actually Is 09:53 When the Backlash Went National, and Why the Scale Feels Nuts 20:36 Where America's Water Really Goes: Corn, Almonds, Dairy, and Golf 29:38 How Data Centers Use Water, From Closed Loops to Chip Foundries 39:10 Leaky Pipes, Water Stressed Regions, and the Texas Question 45:42 Power Is King: Why Data Centers Go Where They Go 52:13 Northern Virginia at the Breaking Point 59:04 Property Rights, Property Values, and Boomtown Growing Pains 1:05:23 The Grid We Already Built: Utilization, Nuclear Restarts, and Geothermal 1:14:12 Physical AI and What Each Side Refuses to Admit 1:22:18 Please in My Backyard: Communities Learn Their Leverage 1:29:48 Data Centers Hit the Ballot Box 1:38:10 Can Industry and Wild America Coexist? 1:44:05 Y2K, Nuclear Panic, and the 2030 Verdict, Plus the TRCP Turkey Hunt Raffle