Will the AI Data Boom Save Rural America?

Rural America.  Long regarded by the well-heeled on the coasts as “fly-over” country.  Sections of it are dirt poor and losing population as soon as they can graduate and move away for better jobs and more opportunity.  It seems that perhaps the pendulum may be swinging the other way as the need for cheap land and bountiful electricity are bringing Big Data to these long-forgotten parts of America.  Companies like Meta are building massive data centers in rural communities, promising economic revitalization but delivering minimal long-term employment. More concerning is the infrastructure investment required to support these facilities - utilities are constructing power plants with 30-40 year lifespans for companies only guaranteeing 15-year commitments. What happens when technology evolves and these facilities become obsolete?