Are Data Centers Really Scary? Water, Power & Community Trust | Behind the Cape

A data center is proposed near your home. What happens to your water, your power bill and your say in what comes next? This conversation helps you identify the questions your community needs answered before a deal is signed.

For Behind the Cape, I brought together Brad Tietz of the Data Center Coalition, IU's David Konisky, Purdue's Roberto Gallardo and co-moderator Shaneeka R. Abram. Shaneeka has lived in a data center community, and her account of disrupted businesses and limited notice puts the debate into everyday terms.

We get into the industry's case for jobs and investment, the uncertainty around electricity costs, and why cooling systems and local water conditions matter. David and Roberto push us to consider trust, rural identity and the neighbors who may carry a disproportionate share of the costs. The panel also tackles NDAs and whether a public hearing means much if residents feel the decision has already been made.

WHAT YOU'LL TAKE AWAY

The differences between data center types and workloads.

Questions to ask about water use, cooling and electricity infrastructure.

Why early, meaningful public participation matters.

How to examine jobs and community benefits alongside local disruptions.

Why exit plans and electronic waste belong in the conversation early.

Communities should negotiate from an informed position. Pick three questions from the Penn State guide below and bring them to your next public meeting. Ask who will answer them, when, and in writing.

PANEL & HOSTS

Brad Tietz | Director of Government Affairs, Midwest, Data Center Coalition

https://www.datacentercoalition.org/cpages/brad-tietz

David Konisky | Professor and Associate Dean for Research, Indiana University O'Neill School; co-director, Energy Justice Lab

https://oneill.indiana.edu/faculty-research/directory/profiles/faculty/full-time/konisky-david.html

Roberto Gallardo | Associate Professor and Vice President for Engagement, Purdue University. Participating in his faculty capacity, sharing his own views.

https://extension.purdue.edu/cdext/about-us/our-team/profile/roberto-gallardo/roberto-gallardo.html

Co-moderator: Shaneeka R. Abram | AI trainer, educator and founder of Abundant Solutions Consulting

https://www.linkedin.com/in/sreneeabram

Host: Jason Padgett | Chief AI Officer, Chakra AI Solutions; host, AGI Podcast

RESOURCES MENTIONED

Penn State Extension: Data Centers: A Guide to Common Questions

https://extension.psu.edu/data-centers-a-guide-to-common-questions

Recorded live on LinkedIn, October 27, 2026. Sponsored by Chakra AI Solutions.

CONNECT WITH JASON PADGETT

Jason Padgett | AI Solutions Architect | Co-Founder, Wooden Boy Industries | Host, AGI Podcast | AI Adoption, LLM Systems & Human-AI Workflows

AGI - Advance Grow and Innovate with AI Podcast Network

🌐 https://schoolsout.agipodcast.ai/

CoFounder, Wooden Boy Industries

🌐 https://woodenboyindustriesai.com/

Chief AI Officer, Chakra AI Solutions

🌐 https://chakrasolutions.ai/

📧 jason@agipodcast.ai

TOOLS MENTIONED

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