Originally posted on Data Center POST.
At the 2025 Yotta event held at the MGM in Las Vegas, industry leaders came together to confront one of the most pressing issues in digital infrastructure today: how to balance rapid growth with community trust. The panel, “Under Fire: Navigating Public Perception and Planning Pushback in Digital Infrastructure,” was moderated by Ilissa Miller, CEO of iMiller Public Relations, and featured expert perspectives from Santiago Suinaga, CEO of Infrastructure Masons; Tyson Slocu, Director, Energy Program of Public Citizen; and Teryn Zmuda, the CRO for the National Association of Counties (NACo).
The Challenge: Expansion Meets Resistance
As data centers scale to support AI, cloud, and digital transformation, communities are increasingly voicing concerns about energy use, water consumption, land impact, and transparency. Miller framed the discussion around a central question: how can the industry stop communities from saying “no” and instead encourage them to ask, “what do we need and want?”
Key Perspectives from the Panel
Santiago Suinaga: Balancing Growth with Community Needs
Suinaga highlighted how the industry’s early “behind the curtain” approach has fueled mistrust. Today, communities see the scale of growth without clear benefits. He stressed the need for transparent messaging and frameworks like the iMasons Social Accord, which addresses economic, environmental, and social impacts holistically. Every community is unique, and engagement strategies must adapt to local priorities
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