I built a free site that shows you the data center near you, who really owns it past the shell company, and the tax breaks it got. [OC] Statistics

June 16, 2026
2 views
AC
By Alex Cartwright
I built a free site that shows you the data center near you, who really owns it past the shell company, and the tax breaks it got. [OC] Statistics
Click to enlarge

Data Analysis

What This Visualization Shows

This data visualization displays "I built a free site that shows you the data center near you, who really owns it past the shell company, and the tax breaks it got. [OC]" and provides a clear visual representation of the underlying data patterns and trends. The visualization focuses on Some of you saw a thing I built earlier this year called EpsteinExposed. It was an attempt to make the Epstein files actually searchable instead of 2 million scanned pages nobody could use. The post went around, WIRED wrote about it and I suddenly had millions of people visiting.

I told my wife I would take a break after that. I did not take a break.

Here is what happened instead. While I was buried in those files for months, I kept noticing the same shape. Powerful people, a lot of public money, and records that technically exist but are built to be impossible for a normal person to actually use. Once you see that shape you cannot stop seeing it.

So... I went looking for the next pile of public records nobody had bothered to make searchable. I found it on a drive, about a mile off the highway. A data center. I got curious and tried to answer two simple questions when I got home. Who owns it, and what did the county give them to build it there.

It took me most of a weekend and I still was not sure. The site was owned by an LLC, which was owned by another LLC, which traced back to a name that meant nothing. The tax break was real and large and buried in a county commission PDF from two years earlier that no search engine had ever touched. Meanwhile every utility in the region is asking for rate hikes and pointing at "load growth."

That is when I started building again.

It is called [DataCentersExposed](https://datacentersexposed.com/map). Same idea as before. Take the records that are public but unusable, and make them searchable for a regular person in about ten seconds.

You can type in your address or your zip. It shows you the data centers near you and a rough estimate of what they are costing you on your own utility bill, with the math shown so you can argue with it. For each site it tries to name the real corporate parent, not the shell LLC on the permit. That part was the hardest. These projects hide behind codename companies on purpose, and I have decoded over 1,300 of those shells back to the actual company so far. Google, Meta, Amazon, the big REITs, all of them do it.

It also pulls the tax breaks and subsidies for each site and totals them. I am at over 3.2 billion dollars documented right now, every figure linked back to an official source. On top of that there is the water each one draws, any EPA violations on record, and the grid it actually runs on. If a data center near you is being fought by locals, there is a page with the upcoming public hearings and how to show up to them, because that is usually the only point where any of this is still up for debate.

It covers more than 3,000 sites across 31 countries. I will be honest about the limits. The US is by far the deepest because that is where the records are best. International coverage is thinner and growing. Some of the bill-impact and capacity numbers are estimates and they are labeled as estimates, not facts. If you find something wrong, a bad owner link, a number that looks off, a site that is missing, tell me. That kind of boring correction is what made the last project trustworthy and it is the same deal here.

One thing I will repeat the same way I did last time. A company showing up in this data is not an accusation of anything. Building a data center is legal. Getting a tax break is legal. The point is just to make it visible who is getting what, with public money, in your community, so you can decide what you think about it.

It is free. No ads and no paywall. It is part of a small group of sites I run now.

If you want to see what is near you, it is at datacentersexposed.com. Go put in your zip and then tell me what I got wrong. Just keep in the mind this is just the beginning.

TL;DR: I am the person who built the Epstein database. I built a new one for the data center boom. It shows the data centers near you, who really owns them behind the shell companies, the tax breaks they got (over 3.2 billion documented), their water and pollution record, and a rough estimate of what they are doing to your power bill. Free, no ads, sourced. datacentersexposed.com. Find errors and call them out., which allows us to understand complex relationships and insights within the data through visual storytelling.

Deep Dive into the Topic

This data visualization represents a sophisticated analysis of complex information patterns that provide valuable insights into underlying trends and relationships. Data visualization serves as a bridge between raw numerical data and human understanding, transforming abstract statistics into comprehensible visual narratives.

The power of data visualization lies in its ability to reveal patterns, outliers, and correlations that might not be apparent in traditional tabular formats. Through careful selection of chart types, color schemes, and interactive elements, effective visualizations can communicate complex information quickly and accurately to diverse audiences.

Modern data visualization combines statistical analysis with design principles to create compelling visual stories. This interdisciplinary approach requires understanding both the underlying data and the cognitive processes involved in visual perception. The result is more effective communication of quantitative insights that can inform decision-making and drive positive change.

Data Analysis and Insights

The patterns revealed in this visualization demonstrate the importance of systematic data analysis in understanding complex phenomena. By examining different data segments, time periods, and categorical breakdowns, we can identify trends that inform strategic planning and decision-making processes.

Statistical analysis of this data reveals variations across different dimensions that provide insights into underlying drivers and relationships. These patterns help identify areas of opportunity, potential risks, and key performance indicators that can guide future actions and resource allocation.

The analytical approach used in this visualization enables comparison across different categories, time periods, or geographic regions, revealing insights that support evidence-based decision-making. This type of analysis is essential for organizations seeking to optimize performance and understand complex market dynamics.

Significance and Applications

This data visualization has important implications for understanding trends and patterns that affect decision-making across multiple sectors. The insights derived from this analysis can inform policy development, business strategy, resource allocation, and operational improvements.

For analysts, researchers, and decision-makers, this type of data visualization provides essential insights for strategic planning and performance optimization. Whether addressing operational challenges, market analysis, or policy development, understanding data patterns helps create more effective strategies and solutions.

The broader significance lies in how this information contributes to our understanding of complex systems and relationships. This knowledge helps predict future trends, identify potential challenges, and develop more informed approaches to problem-solving and opportunity identification.

Comments

Loading comments...

Leave a Comment

0/500 characters

About the Author

Alex Cartwright

Alex Cartwright

Senior Data Visualization Expert

Alex Cartwright is a renowned data visualization specialist and infographic designer with over 15 years of experience in...

Infographic DesignData AnalysisVisual Communication
View Profile

Visualization Details

Published6/16/2026
CategoryData Analysis
TypeVisualization
Views2