When people hear the term “data center,” it sounds abstract, technical, and far removed from everyday life — especially in a rural community like ours.
In reality, a data center is not mysterious. It’s just unfamiliar.
This explainer breaks it down in plain English, using comparisons that make sense in a farming and ranching community.
The simplest definition
A data center is a large industrial building filled with computers that:
- Store data
- Process data
- Move data across the internet
Everything from:
- streaming video
- online banking
- cloud storage
- artificial intelligence (AI)
…relies on data centers.
If the internet were a farm operation, data centers would be the barns and processing facilities, not the fields.
A farming analogy that actually fits
Think about raising cattle.
You don’t just have:
- pasture (the open land)
You also need:
- barns
- feed storage
- water systems
- power
- equipment buildings
- cooling for livestock in extreme heat
A data center is similar.
The data is like the livestock.
The building is the barn.
The servers are the animals inside.
The power and water keep everything alive and functioning.
What’s inside a data center?
Inside a data center are rows and rows of servers.
A server is just:
a powerful computer that runs all day, every day
Each server:
- uses electricity
- generates heat
- must be kept cool
- must never lose power unexpectedly
Multiply that by tens to hundreds of thousands of servers in one facility, depending on size.
Why data centers need so much power
Data centers use enormous amounts of electricity because:
- Servers run 24/7
- Cooling systems run 24/7
- Backup systems must always be ready
A useful comparison:
A data center is closer to a power plant or industrial facility than an office building.
Just like a grain elevator or processing plant, electricity is the lifeblood.
Why cooling matters so much
Servers produce heat — a lot of it.
If they overheat:
- equipment fails
- data is lost
- operations shut down
Cooling can be done in different ways:
- large air chillers
- water-based cooling systems
- hybrid systems
This is why water use becomes a major topic in data center discussions, especially in rural areas over important aquifers.
What makes AI data centers different?
AI data centers are not the same as older data centers.
AI servers:
- use far more electricity
- generate far more heat
- are much denser (more power in less space)
A farming comparison:
Traditional data centers are like running cattle on pasture.
AI data centers are like a high-density feedlot.
Both are agricultural operations — but the resource demands are very different.
Why data centers often locate in rural areas
Companies look for places with:
- large amounts of available land
- fewer zoning restrictions
- access to power transmission lines
- access to water
- lower land costs
- tax abatements from local governments
From the company’s perspective, rural land can look like:
“unused space with fewer obstacles”
From the community’s perspective, that same land is:
- groundwater
- wildlife habitat
- ranches
- homes
- a way of life
That difference in perspective is where many conflicts begin.
What a data center is not
A data center is not:
- a typical office building
- a big employer
- a shopping center
- a tech campus full of workers
Once built, most data centers:
- employ relatively few people
- operate constantly
- run for decades
They are infrastructure — not community hubs.
Why understanding this matters
You can’t have a meaningful conversation about:
- water use
- tax abatements
- power infrastructure
- long-term impacts
…without first understanding what a data center actually is.
This explainer isn’t about being for or against anything.
It’s about making sure decisions are made with clear eyes and plain facts, not buzzwords.