Grow the Future 2026: Desert Compute

In 2026, Grow the Future will bring an interdisciplinary group of German officials and experts to the US to examine the emerging politics of data center activism. Companies are investing tens of billions of dollars in hyperscale data centers that place new strains on climate goals and require unprecedented amounts of water, land, and energy. A parallel boom is reshaping Europe as rapid AI deployment converges with growing demands for sovereign control over critical digital infrastructure.

The latest generation of AI data centers – with names like Stargate, Prometheus, Hyperion, and Colossus – is already transforming local communities and ecosystems. With limited public policy frameworks in place to govern responsible growth, data center expansion is becoming a significant political issue ahead of the US midterm congressional elections later this year. Environmental justice groups and community advocates are elevating concerns around climate impacts, water use, public health, social equity, Indigenous rights, and corporate power. Their efforts have had tangible effects: in 2025 alone, grassroots campaigns contributed to the cancellation of dozens of proposed data centers representing billions of dollars in investment, even as overall construction is expected to continue at a rapid pace in 2026.

Grow the Future participants will travel to Arizona and California to meet policymakers, Indigenous leaders, and experts on technology, land, water, and energy to examine how local activism has responded to the explosive growth of data centers in the US. In Northern California, they will meet with progressive activist groups, state lawmakers, and tech companies with alternative visions for the rollout of AI and other resource intensive technologies. In Arizona, participants will engage directly with Indigenous communities, state agencies, utilities, and environmental justice and youth groups in one of North America’s fastest-growing data center regions, where water scarcity, grid expansion, and digital infrastructure have become central political and environmental challenges.

Participants in Grow the Future 2026 will bring home a stronger understanding of how local movements in the United States are reshaping debates over the social, environmental, and political consequences of rapid data center expansion. Participants will see what similar growth could mean for Europe -- how the green movement can respond. By linking these experiences to European policy discussions, the program will strengthen transatlantic collaboration around more just, democratic, and climate-aligned approaches to digital infrastructure. Even amid a growing transatlantic rupture, progressive movements in Europe and the US can build new networks for a just, green future. 

What is Grow the Future? 

Grow the Future is an annual project led by the Heinrich Böll Foundation’s Washington, DC and Berlin offices. Each year, the project brings a group of 8-10 young professionals (ages 21 to 35) from Germany/Europe to North America to explore transatlantic green policy issues. Participants become part of the Grow the Future alumni network, where they have ongoing opportunities to connect with green-minded experts and partners at the Heinrich Böll Foundation.

By offering exceptional opportunities for transatlantic learning and dialogue, Grow the Future promotes the next generation of green voices. It creates a network of promising young policymakers, professionals, and activists in Germany who are leading green initiatives - to fight climate change while protecting liberal democracy, human rights, and open societies, and to ensure a sustainable future for the next generation. The network launched in 2020, and participants have traveled to Miami, New Orleans, Pittsburgh, Toronto, South Bend, Detroit, and Washington, DC, Montreal, and Ottawa exploring issues ranging from climate migration to digital sovereignty.

WHO SHOULD APPLY

Target group 

We seek candidates who are interested in transatlantic perspectives on the climate and environmental impacts of AI and data centers in at least one of the following ways:

• as elected officials or policy advisors at the local, state, national, or European level;
• as campaigners, strategists, influencers, or activists in progressive non-profit organizations, the private sector, or labor organizations;
• as researchers or educators in academia or think tanks; and
• as journalists covering environmental justice and the digital economy.

The delegation will consist of 8 - 10 selected participants along with 4 HBS staff members. The program is designed for emerging and early-career professionals interested in transatlantic relations, climate and environmental policy, and AI and digital infrastructure governance. The participant selection process will actively seek to build an inclusive cohort, with particular attention to gender diversity, in line with HBS’s commitment to equity and inclusion.

Note: Candidates should be primarily based in Germany or working on relevant European Union policies. You do not have to be a German citizen.

WHAT IS EXPECTED

• Actively participate in the study tour: You will travel through the United States from June 20 - 27, 2026. We recognize that those interested may have reservations about traveling to the United States. The Heinrich Böll Foundation will provide selected participants with travel guidance prior to the study tour. We also encourage applicants to evaluate their personal risks. For questions during the application process, you can reach us at the email addresses listed at the bottom of this page.
• Come with an open, curious mind and share their expertise: Participants are expected to share their expertise and insights with meeting partners and each other. They should come ready to engage, ask questions, and look for transferable lessons.
• Engage online: There will be select virtual meetings prior to the study tour so the participants can meet each other and gain an understanding of the relevant issues. While participating in the study tour, participants are encouraged to connect with Heinrich Böll Foundation over Bluesky, Linkedin, and other social media platforms. The Foundation will publish a profile of each participant on the Heinrich Böll Foundation Washington, DC website. 
• Bring lessons home: Participants will bring back to their local networks the lessons learned during the study tour.
• Help shape the alumni network:
  Participants should be open to ongoing involvement with the Grow the Future alumni network. The network is designed to support member’s work and facilitate dialogue on a range of green, transatlantic policy issues from previous Grow the Future study tours. There will be an alumni meeting in Berlin in November 2026 (dates to be announced and costs will be covered).
• Have professional competency in English.

WHAT WE OFFER

The Heinrich Böll Foundation will cover all major costs of the study tour, including flights, transportation, accommodation, and most meals. If relevant, the Heinrich Böll Foundation will also cover the cost of associated visa fees. Participants should expect to cover incidentals and occasional meals.

APPLICATION INSTRUCTIONS

Please read the instructions carefully as we will not consider incomplete applications. Applications consist of: 

1. Resume: Please use a standard US format. Standard US resumes include contact information but no other personal information such as pictures or marital/familial status, and are a maximum of two pages. Please indicate your age at the time of application in the cover letter, as the study tour is limited to candidates between the ages of 21 and 35.
2. Cover letter: Please submit a one to two page letter outlining your motivation and qualifications for joining the study tour and becoming part of the Grow the Future alumni network. Describe what you hope to learn, how you will contribute to the dialogue during the tour, and how you will implement the lessons you learn within your own network and as part of the Grow the Future alumni. Explain what you can contribute to conversations on the politics of data center activism.
3. Challenge statement: Please write 150-300 words explaining a piece of writing or media that reflects how you see the future and your interest in the study tour. It does not need to be about data centers.

The resume, cover letter, and challenge statement should be submitted in English.

The application can be submitted here. Read more about Grow the Future: A Network of Green Voices.

The application deadline is 5:59pm ET on March 16, 2026. We strongly encourage early applications and will select participants at the end of June. 

For questions and inquiries, please contact Brendan O'Donnell brendan.odonnell[at]us.boell.org and Drew Mitnick at drew.mitnick[at]us.boell.org.