Data center backlash spreads as states weigh moratoriums, and one California city bans them

The data center backlash

Who opposes data centers?Most Americans. A recent Gallup poll found that 71% of voters, including 75% of Democrats and 63% of Republicans, don’t want a data center built in their area. Hostility to these artificial intelligence facilities is “the most bipartisan issue since beer,” Milwaukee-based comedian Charlie Berens said at a recent rally against a 700,000-square-foot Meta facility in Port Washington, Wis. Opponents of these warehouse-like c…

Data center backlash spreads as states weigh moratoriums, and one California city bans them

Rapid expansion in facilities that support artificial intelligence, cloud computing, and other digital services is turning data centers into a political issue far beyond local zoning boards. Fights over where and how they are built are increasingly landing in state legislatures across the country. As proposals move closer to residential areas, people are focusing on everyday impacts rather than abstract technology policy. Noise, water demand, el…