Energy Transition, AI, and Geopolitics

AI is Here to Stay, but It Shouldn’t Drain Your Town

By Ken Silverstein • April 17, 2026 • Filed in: Energy, Media

This column was originally syndicated via InsideSources and has appeared in the DC Journal, the Frederick News-Post, and the Charleston Gazette-Mail.

The “AI Boom” is no longer just a digital story—it’s an infrastructure story hitting town halls from West Virginia to Iowa. Neighbors aren’t just looking at the potential for digital jobs; they’re worried about the massive “drain” these data centers place on local money and water resources.

As we race toward an AI-driven future, the conflict between economic development and resource preservation is becoming a staple of American public policy. But there are technological advances as well, including closed-loop water systems and wastewater treatment systems that no one wants.

Read the full piece at the DC Journal

For more on the intersection of technology and infrastructure, see my previous analysis on The Infrastructure Contest That Will Decide Global Power.

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  • Recipient of the ASBPE Gold Award for Outstanding Web Commentary and the MIN Online “Most Intriguing People in Media” honor. Senior Contributor at Forbes with nearly 30 years of energy and climate reporting experience.