[CPEO-BIF] "Data Center Development at Brownfields Sites"

[Lenny Siegel <Lsiegel@cpeo.org>]

Data Center Development at Brownfields Sites

By Reza Zarghamee, Sid Fowler, Jason Drogin Atwood, Robert G. Howard
Pillsbury Law
March 2026

Although former industrial properties can be well situated for siting data centers, using such brownfield sites brings the risk of environmental liabilities under Superfund and other laws.

Notwithstanding existing statutory protections for “innocent” party developers of such properties, both the Trump administration and certain states have taken steps, some more concrete than others, to expand federal and state brownfields programs to facilitate data center development.

More such changes may be expected in 2026.

…

Given these pressures, brownfield sites—previously developed industrial properties that may be contaminated—present promising opportunities for potential data centers and energy facilities. Such sites often come with built-in advantages such as existing structures that can be converted at less cost than it takes for a newbuild construction, access to existing power, water, sewer and transportation infrastructure, as well as proximity to the energy grid. Moreover, redeveloping deteriorating and potentially contaminated properties may garner support from communities and local governments.

…

For the entire blog, see
https://www.pillsburylaw.com/en/news-and-insights/data-center-development-brownfields-sites.html


—

Lenny Siegel
Executive Director
Center for Public Environmental Oversight
A project of the Pacific Studies Center
LSiegel@cpeo.org
P.O. Box 998, Mountain View, CA 94042
Voice/Fax: 650-961-8918
http://www.cpeo.org
Author: DISTURBING THE WAR: The Inside Story of the Movement to Get Stanford University out of Southeast Asia - 1965–1975 (See http://a3mreunion.org)




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