Every time you open an app, stream a movie, scroll social media or ask an AI chatbot a question, something happens behind the scenes.Your requests travel to a data center.Most people never see them. Yet these massive facilities have become some of the fastest-growing pieces of infrastructure in America, quietly powering the digital world that increasingly shapes our daily lives.And now, they're expanding at a remarkable pace.From repurposed warehouses in urban cores to sprawling campuses built on former farmland, data centers are transforming communities across the country.IN CASE YOU MISSED IT | Trump wants communities to embrace data centers, but opposition is growingSupporters see economic development, technology investment and new jobs. Critics raise concerns about electricity use, water consumption, tax incentives, land use and quality of life.But beyond the headlines and public meetings, many residents are left asking the same question:What exactly do data centers mean for the communities that host them?That's the question Scripps News Group reporters across the country are setting out to answer.A National Investigation Into a Local IssueOver the next several weeks, journalists from stations across the Scripps News Group will take viewers and readers inside one of the most consequential growth industries in America.Our investigation, The Price of Data, will explore the promises, impacts and tradeoffs of the nation's data center boom.We'll visit some of the largest data centers in the country and report firsthand from communities experiencing the industry's rapid expansion. From Virginia's famed "Data Center Alley" to Ohio's "Silicon Valley of the Midwest," we'll bring viewers closer to a world that is often hidden in plain sight.Our goal is simple: to help people understand what's being built in their communities, why it's happening and who benefits.Following the GrowthThere are roughly 5,000 data centers operating across the United States. According to DataCentermap.com, Virginia has the most data centers, followed by rapid growth in Texas. California, Georgia, Illinois and Ohio, which are all states that have offered lucrative tax breaks to the data center industry, come next.Demand for more continues to grow as businesses, consumers and emerging AI technologies require increasing amounts of computing power. The result is a nationwide building boom that is reshaping local economies and landscapes.IN CASE YOU MISSED IT | Inside the secretive data centers powering the AI boomSupporters say data centers can attract investment, expand tax bases and create new opportunities for growth.Others argue communities deserve greater transparency about the long-term impacts, from energy demands and infrastructure needs to development decisions that can alter neighborhoods for decades.In town halls, zoning meetings and community forums across America, residents are weighing those competing perspectives.We're going to be there, listening.Going Beyond the Talking PointsThroughout this investigation, Scripps News Group reporters will move beyond industry marketing materials and political sound bites to examine what is actually happening on the ground.We'll ask: How much electricity and water do these facilities require? What's the impact of pressing pause and instituting a moratorium? What's fueling the rise of protests around data centers? How are data centers influencing the 2026 midterms? Are tax incentives delivering the returns communities were promised? How are residents responding to rapid development?Most importantly, we'll focus on the people living with the consequences of those decisions every day.Coming Soon: The Price of DataFrom coast to coast, Scripps News Group reporters are digging deeper, asking hard questions and following the facts behind America's data center boom.Join us as we investigate the costs, the promises and the tradeoffs of the infrastructure powering our digital future.The Price of Data. Coming soon on Scripps News Group platforms.This story was originally published by Mark Ackerman at the Scripps News Group station in Cleveland. ...read more read less