Wyoming's Data Center Boom: Dawson Kluesner on Economic Opportunity, Public Backlash, and the Infrastructure Behind AI

<p>AI may live in the cloud, but the infrastructure behind it is very physical: land, power plants, transmission lines, water systems, construction crews—and communities deciding whether they actually want massive data centers in their backyard.</p><p>In this episode of <strong>Signal &amp; Noise</strong>, Rio Longacre and Brett House sit down with <strong>Dawson Kluesner</strong>, Director of External Affairs for the Wyoming Association of Municipalities and Coordinator for the Wyoming Economic Development Association. Dawson sits at a fascinating intersection: he works with the cities and towns evaluating major infrastructure projects while also working alongside the economic-development community trying to attract investment to Wyoming.</p><p>Wyoming has emerged as an increasingly attractive destination for hyperscale data centers. It has abundant energy resources, available land, a long history as an energy-producing state, and communities looking for ways to diversify their tax bases. But the boom is also generating many of the same concerns appearing around the country: electricity demand, water consumption, noise, environmental impact, public subsidies, infrastructure costs and whether data centers create enough permanent jobs to justify their enormous footprint. </p><p>Dawson argues that the answer isn&#39;t simply to say yes or no to data centers. The real question is whether communities can structure projects so residents are genuinely better off after they arrive.</p><p>The conversation explores:</p><ul><li>Why Wyoming has become attractive to data center developers—and why energy availability may now be one of the biggest constraints on AI infrastructure.</li><li>How Wyoming is trying to protect residential ratepayers, including Black Hills Energy&#39;s large-load tariff requiring major industrial customers to pay for the infrastructure needed to serve them. </li><li>Why water remains one of the biggest concerns Dawson hears at community meetings, and how newer cooling technologies are changing the debate. </li><li>The economics of data centers: massive construction activity, relatively smaller permanent workforces, property and electricity tax revenue, and the opportunity to diversify Wyoming&#39;s economy.</li><li>The growing demand for electricians, welders, HVAC technicians, plumbers and other skilled trades—and why data center investment could help build a workforce that benefits Wyoming well beyond AI. </li><li>Nuclear power, natural gas,