Building Community Power for Data Center Reform (2026)
(To find and register for course, Select 2026-2027 Adult Programs, choose Filter By Session Type: “Classes & Workshops,” then check “Advocacy.” Building Community Power for Data Center Reform will appear at or near the top of the Session List.)
Nature Forward invites you to learn about the major impacts of data center development and
how you can advocate for more responsible and sustainable data center development in your community.
The course includes seven virtual sessions led by leading researchers, scientists, and advocates involved in the movement for more sustainable data center development.
An optional, in-person tour of Data Center Alley in Northern Virginia is also included. Read the course descriptions below to learn more.
Courses begin September 15, 2026
ENERGY
CLASS 1 • Tuesday, Sept. 15, 2026
12:00 – 1:30 PM EDT
Speaker
Julie Bolthouse
Director of Land Use
Piedmont Environmental Council
Data centers depend on large amounts of energy to operate.
Julie Bolthouse of Piedmont Environmental Council will share information about the energy needs of data centers, the increased grid infrastructure needed to support those needs, and the impacts on ratepayers.
DATA CENTER TOUR
Tuesday, Sept. 29, 2026
Northern Virginia’s “Data Center Alley”
Led by
Angie McCarthy
Clean Energy Campaign Manager
Nature Forward
Join Nature Forward on a guided bus tour of “Data Center Alley” in Northern Virginia. You’ll see firsthand the scale of data center development and understand the community and environmental impacts of data centers. Four hours, in-person, lunch provided.
(Optional, but recommended)
WATER
CLASS 2 • Tuesday, Oct. 6, 2026
12:00 – 1:30 PM EDT
Speaker
Dr. Alimatou Seck
Senior Resources Water Scientist
Interstate Commission for the Potomac River Basin
Data centers impact our watersheds through consumption and discharge. Find out how much water our rivers can lose from data center development.
Dr. Alimatou Seck will share information about water consumption in the Potomac River and what steps could protect our watersheds.
COMMUNITY ORGANIZING
CLASS 3 • Tuesday, Oct. 13, 2026
12:00 – 1:30 PM EDT
Speakers
Elena Schlossberg
Coalition to Protect Prince William County
Bryan Cornell
Our Land, Our Home,
Our Harford
Taylor Frazier McCollum
No Landover Data Center Movement!
Moderated by Renee Grebe
Nature Forward
More than half of Maryland counties are under data center moratoriums, and many Virginia counties are considering moratoriums on data center development. Learn from community organizers who have seen both victories and setbacks. You’ll gain a better understanding of how to support your locale’s advocacy efforts.
LAND USE
CLASS 4 • Tuesday, Oct. 20, 2026
12:00 – 1:30 PM EDT
Speaker
Kyle Hart
Mid-Atlantic Senior Program Manager
National Parks Conservation Association
From water to forests to public transit, data centers impact our land in many different ways. Zoning impacts how close data centers can be to your home
Kyle Hart, Mid-Atlantic Senior Program Manager for the National Park Conservation Association, explains the effects data centers have on water, agriculture, and land.
PUBLIC HEALTH
CLASS 5 • Tuesday, Oct. 27, 2026
12:00 – 1:30 PM EDT
Speaker
Dr. Michael Cork
Scientist
EmPower Analytics Power Group
Data centers can have significant impacts on air pollution due to their need for large diesel generators for backup power and energy demands that require fossil fuel energy.
Dr. Michael Cork will explain how this significantly impacts the health of people living near data centers.
NOISE
CLASS 6 • Tuesday, Nov. 3, 2026
12:00 – 1:30 PM EDT
Speaker
Masheika Allgood JD, LL.M
AI Ethicist
AllAI Consulting, LLC
Data centers create continuous, low-frequency humming and high-pitched whining sounds from 24/7 cooling fans, massive air chillers, and backup diesel generators.
Masheika Allgood will explain how this constant feedback impacts our health and communities.
STATE LEVEL ADVOCACY
Class 7 • Tuesday, Nov. 10, 2026
12:00 – 1:30 PM EDT
Speakers
Danica Roem
Virginia State Senator
Karen Lewis Young
Maryland State Senator
Moderated by Angie McCarthy
Nature Forward
Regulating data center development through state policy is critical to protecting communities and measuring the cumulative impacts of data centers. Hear firsthand from VA and MD state senators about the political atmosphere for data center regulation, what state regulations are needed to protect their constituents, and what potential regulation could make progress in their upcoming general assemblies.
End of Course Happy Hour
More details to come, but plan on making your way to a bar in Washington, DC this evening.
(In person, optional,
but recommended!)
Tuesday, November 17, 2026