Insights
Original research, open source tools, and analysis at the intersection of climate infrastructure, technology, and justice.
Mapping Where the Burden Falls
Environmental impact assessment has traditionally stopped at the fence line. EJMI extends the analysis to the communities that surround proposed infrastructure, using real Census data, EJScreen indicators, and CDC vulnerability scores to build a tract by tract picture of cumulative burden. When a 1,300 megawatt data center draws power from Michigan's coal heavy grid, the indirect water withdrawal alone can reach 74 billion gallons per year. EJMI makes that burden visible at the neighborhood level.
The initiative grew out of Sadberry Singer's exploration of Michigan House Bills 5594 through 5596, which propose the first statewide data center impact disclosure requirements. Our calibration analysis found that none of the three largest data center operators in the world have ever completed a public Health Impact Assessment for any facility. EJMI fills that gap with an open, reproducible framework that communities, regulators, and investors can use to evaluate proposals on equal footing.
The AI Power Rush: Who Gets Left in the Dark?
As data centers multiply to fuel AI's exponential growth, energy grids strain under new demand. Who bears the cost when the lights dim, and who decides?
Soft Power, Sharp Eyes: Reading the Grid Like a System
Energy systems are living networks of decisions, dependencies, and power dynamics. Understanding them requires more than engineering, it requires systems thinking.
When Clean Isn't Clean Enough
The clean energy transition promises a greener future. But without intentional equity design, "clean" risks replicating the same extractive patterns it was meant to replace.
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