Nearly 3,000 data centers are proposed or under construction across the United States right now and the communities impacted the most are the ones with the least power to fight back.

In the first episode of Grounded in Fact, Groundwork Project founder Joe Kennedy breaks down everything you need to know about the data center boom: what they are, who’s building them, and why they keep ending up in Black and brown communities in the South and Appalachia.

We look at Project Marvel in Bessemer, Alabama, a hyperscale facility that would consume more electricity than 1 million homes and nearly 2 million gallons of water per day, and hear from organizers at the Alabama Rivers Alliance and Southern Environmental Law Center who are demanding a seat at the table.

We also hear a keynote from Groundwork Project’s Director of Programs, Anthony Davis, Jr., at the Alabama Water Rally, on why community organizing is the most powerful tool we have.