Silicon Prairie Episode 1: How Communities Can Prepare for the Digital Boom

The Rocky Mountain West has seen its share of booms from gold and railroads to oil, gas, and coal. Now a new boom is arriving: data centers, artificial intelligence, cryptocurrency, and industrial-scale computing.

In this inaugural episode of Silicon Prairie, host Alan O’Hashi explores how communities can prepare for the opportunities and challenges that accompany the digital economy. What questions should local leaders ask before approving a new data center? Who benefits from the jobs and tax revenue? What happens to power supplies, water resources, land use, and quality of life?

Drawing on lessons he learned from past energy booms, this episode offers practical insights for communities seeking to balance economic development with long-term sustainability.

The digital land rush is underway. The question is whether communities will shape it or react to it.

Silicon Prairie is a production of American Outlands, featuring stories from the edges of America.