03/10/2026
Join us on Monday, March 23rd at 2 PM Eastern
WEBINAR: AI Infrastructure, Data Center Development and BEAD
https://www.natoa.org/events/webinar-ai-infrastructure-and-data-center-development
AI mega data centers are arriving with major economic promises and intense pressure to move quickly. Local governments are being asked to approve land use, rights-of-way, and utility-related permits that promise jobs and tax base, while residents raise concerns about energy and water demand, environmental impact, neighborhood compatibility, and long-term community cost. These data centers demand unprecedented amounts of connectivity from a variety of telecommunications providers.
The data center picture also holds the potential that the federal government may allow states to use excess BEAD “non-deployment” funds of up to $21 billion (yes, that’s billion) to fund fiber connectivity to and among data centers – possibly creating a unique opportunity for local governments.
This webinar looks at AI data center development from the perspective of the local decision-maker responsible for permitting and infrastructure coordination, where zoning, ROW access, utility capacity, and interdepartmental alignment are being tested by projects far larger and more complex than existing frameworks anticipated.
