This Independence Day celebration will certainly be sweeter for the residents of our little town, Chatham, VA, and also our neighbors throughout Pittsylvania County. Our hearts rejoice as one as we realized that as a community, we have defeated a proposed power plant and data center of enormous proportions. I am sharing this article found on SELC (Southern Environmental Law Center) which highlights our fight and victory as a community, and also their valuable research about the great environmental and health damage that such proposal would have caused, not only to our community but to extended areas, as far as North Carolina. You can find the article here .

As AI continues to grow and develop, the need for data centers will increase, and small rural communities will be targeted. It is up to the residents of these communities to weigh the pros and cons of these proposed projects, and the benefits, if any, and make their voices heard, whether they welcome this industry with open arms or not. It is important for leaders of a community to listen to the residents and place these issues on a balance, for a just and satisfactory resolution.

I hope you enjoy reading the SELC’s article referred above.