SPEER Energy Codes Webinar – Beyond the Data Center: Building the Community around Data Centers

Data centers are among the most efficient buildings ever constructed, yet they are frequently located in rural communities with limited resources for energy code enforcement, plan review, inspections, and workforce development. As these facilities attract rapid residential and commercial growth, hundreds of surrounding buildings—including homes, apartments, schools, hotels, restaurants, warehouses, and public facilities—may be constructed without the same focus on energy performance.

This session explores how expanding the sustainability conversation beyond the data center creates lasting environmental, economic, and community benefits. Participants will examine why investments in energy code implementation, commissioning, third-party verification, inspector training, and regional technical capacity can produce decades of reduced energy consumption, improved grid resilience, and lower infrastructure costs. The presentation also compares the marginal efficiency gains achieved inside highly optimized data centers with the much larger cumulative opportunity represented by surrounding community development.

Key Takeaways:

• Recognize the hidden energy impacts of development surrounding large data centers.
• Identify practical strategies for strengthening local capacity through training, plan review, inspections, and public-private investment.
• Explore how coordinated community development supports long-term energy efficiency, resilient infrastructure, and sustainable economic growth.