A social media user frustrated with the impact of rapidly multiplying data centers across the United States posted a photo on the social media platform X to illustrate just one of the many ways that these massive facilities change the communities where they are built.
Texas resident Merissa Hansen (@merissahansen17) based her criticism on a photo that she said came from North Dakota.
Here's a picture of the light pollution emanating from a data center in North Dakota. pic.twitter.com/DvqXIrLeIH
— Merissa Hansen (@merissahansen17) April 28, 2026
"Here's a picture of the light pollution emanating from a data center in North Dakota," she said.
On a cloudy night, the bright light in the distance is shocking. It blazes trees on the horizon, some of it reaching the camera directly, some of it creating a halo, and still more illuminating the clouds above.
"It doesn't seem very appealing to anyone living in a residential area," Hansen added in a reply. "The noise level is also quite loud."
Light and noise pollution can be more than just a nuisance for anyone unlucky enough to live near a data center. They can impact sleep, leading to potential health problems, and lower home values, as buyers may decide to look for a more comfortable neighborhood.
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Not only that, but this much light also impacts wildlife. It can confuse nocturnal insects and animals that navigate using light sources as well as upset the sleep cycles of many species.
There was disagreement in the comments about whether this was the normal state of a data center or a temporary situation due to construction. However, it certainly created a problem at the moment the photo was taken.
Meanwhile, there are other drawbacks to having a data center in your neighborhood. As more of these facilities have been built to deal with the power demand of artificial intelligence and cryptocurrency, power bills have gone up for local residents.
North Dakota has felt this effect particularly strongly, with an increase of 33.6%, giving residents a clear reason to dislike data centers.
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