Political Divide Over Data Centers Intensifies Across States
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A poll released in June by Echelon Insights found that only 27% of Americans said they would want an AI data center built in their nieghborhood, with 62% opposed. This made data centers even less popular than nuclear power plants, which 34% of Americans said they would welcome in their neighborhoods.
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New York Post BusinessPeople would rather see a nuclear power plant built in their neighborhood than a data center, a May Gallup poll found, with a whopping 71% of Americans opposed to the latter.
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In Pennsylvania, Democratic Gov. Josh Shapiro, who is eyeing a potential 2028 presidential bid, signed an executive order on Tuesday placing harsh standards on data center development in his state.
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New York Post BusinessPennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro, a potential Democratic presidential contender in 2028, recently signed an executive order restricting data center development in the state, taking a stand against what he called “predatory” developers.
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Texas Gov. Greg Abbott, a Republican, issued a pause on data center approvals and created a set of standards that several companies agreed to follow regarding water and electricity use and quality-of-life for nearby residents.
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CNBCIn Texas, where Republican Gov. Greg Abbott has championed data centers in the past, the mood has changed decisively. Abbott is now racing to put standards on data centers in his state, as Democratic challenger Gina Hinojosa rips him for his initial support of the facilities.
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Lawmakers are unmoved. In July, New York Governor Kathy Hochul signed an executive order establishing the nation's first year-long moratorium on large data centers, effectively pausing the development of new facilities in the state. Hochul said she'll use that time to develop a regulatory framework that better protects the environment, ratepayers, the energy grid and communities in New York.
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New York Post BusinessIn New York, Gov. Kathy Hochul in July issued a first-of-its-kind moratorium on large-scale data center construction – though it has drawn backlash from AI supporters who warn the ban could quash construction jobs. Other critics fear the regulation isn’t strict enough.
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Trump said he saw no reason why there should be opposition to building data centers, which have drawn criticism for producing pollution and forcing major spikes in utility bills thanks to their massive energy needs.
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CNBCPresident Trump weighed in on Wednesday, acknowledging that while data centers "can use a little public relations help," communities should welcome them.
New York Post BusinessSocial media users who oppose data centers have cited environmental issues, noise and light pollution and economic concerns, like the potential for the new tech to eradicate many jobs.
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“If voters’ perceptions of data centers are not fixed quickly,” the memo cautioned, “the campaign against them will expand far beyond Ohio.”
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CNBC"If voters' perceptions of data centers are not fixed quickly, the campaign against them will expand far beyond Ohio," the NRSC wrote in the memo, which was first reported by Axios.
New York Post BusinessSouring public opinion on data centers could play a critical role in midterm elections across the country. Getty Images
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In particular, the memo singled out the US Senate race in Ohio, where former Democratic Sen. Sherrod Brown has used incumbent Republican Sen. Jon Husted's support for data centers as a cudgel.
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CNBCIn the NRSC's memo, the committee wrote that data centers have become a fixture of the contentious Senate race in Ohio, where Democratic candidate and former Sen. Sherrod Brown has made his opposition to them a "centerpiece" of his campaign against Republican incumbent Jon Husted.
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A separate Axios report published Wednesday described AI CEOs being in "full panic mode" over the backlash to data centers. What's more, reported Axios, tech insiders privately acknowledge that "they can't find a compelling message to shift opinion fast enough" ahead of the 2026 midterm elections.
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FortuneAxios calls it “the new existential threat to AI,” reporting that Republicans and AI CEOs are in “full panic mode” watching politicians awaken to the appeal of data-center opposition. If the pipeline of new data centers slows, computing power will be constrained, and investors will (further) question whether the market has legs.
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Semafor observed Wednesday that the "Republican shift is underway in Michigan, too," but it is "most intense in Wisconsin," where Republican gubernatorial nominee Tom Tiffany is attempting to posture as tough on data centers despite his voting record in the US House and fundraising history.
6 details only one outlet reported
Independent claims that didn't surface elsewhere in our corpus. Treat as supplementary — not corroborated across outlets.
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01 New York Post Business Big Tech has failed to win over Americans on its rapid build-out of data centers – and souring public opinion on the power-hungry sites could play a critical role in midterm elections across the country.
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02 Bloomberg KKR Data Center Chief Vaults to Prominence With Nvidia Pact When some of Wall Street’s most prominent CEOs recently appeared on TV with Nvidia Corp.’s Jensen Huang, touting their $500 billion pact to finance AI chips, one participant stood out.
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03 CNBC During a brainstorming session earlier this summer, a group of comedians and employees at beverage company Liquid Death kicked around an idea for a brazen new advertising campaign that would humorously shed light on the amount of water required to operate massive AI data centers.
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04 Fortune Something has changed in the data-center story, Morgan Stanley warned this week: Money doesn’t talk the way it used to.
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05 Common Dreams 5 #000000 #FFFFFF "They are realizing how wildly unpopular Big AI’s agenda is with the American people."
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06 RealClearMarkets Data center moratoriums across the United States could cost communities tax revenue and jobs, echoing 19th-century towns that rejected railroads. Read Full Article »
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- cnbc
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- fortune