00:00It's Benzinga, bringing Wall Street to Main Street.
00:02Farmers and ranchers are raising concerns that the rapid expansion of AI data centers
00:07could strain rural water supplies, increase electricity costs,
00:11and remove productive farmland, according to the Wall Street Journal.
00:15Agriculture groups warn that large facilities compete for the same land,
00:19water and power needed to raise livestock and grow crops.
00:22They also fear abandoned sites could leave valuable farmland out of production
00:26if AI demand weakens.
00:28Data center advocates say the facilities use less water than agriculture,
00:32can generate utility revenue that helps stabilize power rates,
00:35and are built through voluntary land sales.
00:38Supporters also argue that rural communities can benefit from new investment.
00:42Farmers acknowledge that agriculture increasingly relies on the digital infrastructure
00:46and AI tools supported by data centers.
00:49For all things money, visit Benzinga.com.
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