The American Public Works Association released a Data Center Development Toolbox to help public works professionals and

The American Public Works Association announced the release of its Data Center Development Toolbox, a resource designed to assist public works professionals and their communities in identifying potential infrastructure impacts associated with large and complex data center developments. The toolbox outlines seven steps that public works professionals should consider undertaking when a data center is proposed in their community.

APWA CEO Scott D. Grayson, CAE, emphasized the importance of the resource, stating that data center development can raise complex questions for a community and its infrastructure. He noted that public works professionals bring essential knowledge to these discussions and that the toolbox will help everyone ask informed questions early, assess potential impacts, and provide valuable guidance to residents and local decision-makers.

The Data Center Development Toolbox provides an introductory set of talking points, questions, and considerations for public works professionals, particularly those encountering this type of development for the first time or contributing to early-stage discussions. Public works staff may be called upon to provide technical input, advise elected officials, support public outreach, and coordinate among departments as a proposal moves through the local review process.

The toolbox identifies eight key areas communities may want to examine: water and power demands; transportation and construction impacts; stormwater management and utility extensions; planning, zoning, and land-use requirements; environmental and sustainability considerations; public information and community engagement; economic incentives and potential community benefits; and long-term site use, decommissioning plans, and financial security.

APWA President Robert Garland, PE, highlighted that proposed data centers typically involve water, power, transportation, stormwater, land use, and other considerations that cross multiple departments. He described the toolbox as giving professionals a practical starting point for bringing those issues together and helping their communities ask the right questions.

Rather than recommending a particular approach to data center development, the toolbox is designed to help public works professionals establish a baseline understanding and identify questions relevant to their own communities, recognizing that each proposed development and community will have different infrastructure, environmental, economic, and planning considerations. The resource emphasizes the importance of gathering accurate information and engaging public works professionals early in the review process, as their involvement can help residents, staff, and elected officials better understand what is being proposed, how it may affect community systems, and how it aligns with local plans and priorities.

The Data Center Development Toolbox was developed by the APWA Technology Committee with support from the APWA Engineering and Construction Committee, Sustainability and Resiliency Committee, and Water Resources Management Committee. APWA is a not-for-profit international organization of more than 33,000 members involved in public works, headquartered in Kansas City, Missouri, with a government affairs office in Washington, DC, and 62 chapters plus 97 branches throughout North America.