You got good data centres, and their construction and operation were likely regulated.

The problem is that apparently you can just ignore that by building in poor places that won't hold you accountable and perhaps don't even have the regulations. If they do, just don't comply with them. Then your gas turbines can be as loud as you like, nobody will stop you. There's this one weird trick where you can pretend your generators aren't turned on, but they are, and they pollute badly. Nobody will call you out on it.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3VJT2JeDCyw

Also you can take people's drinking water to cool your data centre, and promise a water recycling plant, and then just not build it.

https://www.politico.com/news/2026/05/05/xai-water-reuse-pro...

What I forgot to mention is this one weird trick only works if you're a turbo-bastard with an enormous bank account, and the government of the poor place thinks it's in line for a payday.