Data center battles started in the states. Now it’s Congress under siege.
Lawmakers are weighing permitting reform as local opponents argue the $1 billion project will strain power and water resources, officials said.
- Senator Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn., is pushing a plan to assure consumers they will pay no more for electricity due to data centers as lawmakers debate whether development should be stopped.
- Rapid data center expansion driven by energy demand has sparked fierce community opposition, with residents protesting a massive campus proposal and lawmakers seeking common ground on permitting reform.
- Data centers used about 4.4% of total U.S. electricity in 2023 and could double or triple by 2028 to meet AI demands; permitting complexity poses barriers as data centers require grid connections and on-site electricity generation approvals across states.
- Representatives including Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., are sponsoring moratorium legislation to guarantee data centers do not increase electricity prices or harm the environment, while major tech companies have committed to covering full infrastructure costs.
- The White House supports data center expansion as essential to U.S. AI leadership while Congress crafts legislation requiring companies to fund their own energy infrastructure and environmental safeguards to balance growth with consumer protection.
37 Articles
37 Articles
Data center battles started in the states. Now it’s Congress under siege. • West Virginia Watch
Community members protest ahead of a special Box Elder County Commission meeting to discuss the Stratos project, a massive data center proposed for an unincorporated area in Box Elder County, Utah, on May 4, 2026. (Photo by Alixel Cabrera/Utah News Dispatch)WASHINGTON — Higher electric rates? Massive data centers looming over neighborhoods? Ugly political fights over what to do about them? The future of data centers and their huge appetite for e…
Data center battles started in the states. Now it’s Congress under siege. • Kentucky Lantern
Community members protest ahead of a special Box Elder County Commission meeting to discuss the Stratos project, a massive data center proposed for an unincorporated area in Box Elder County, Utah, on May 4, 2026. (Photo by Alixel Cabrera/Utah News Dispatch)WASHINGTON — Higher electric rates? Massive data centers looming over neighborhoods? Ugly political fights over what to do about them? The future of data centers and their huge appetite for e…
Data center battles started in the states. Now it’s Congress under siege. • Maine Morning Star
Community members protest ahead of a special Box Elder County Commission meeting to discuss the Stratos project, a massive data center proposed for an unincorporated area in Box Elder County, Utah, on May 4, 2026. (Photo by Alixel Cabrera/Utah News Dispatch)WASHINGTON — Higher electric rates? Massive data centers looming over neighborhoods? Ugly political fights over what to do about them? The future of data centers and their huge appetite for e…
Data center battles started in the states. Now it’s Congress under siege. - Now Georgia
WASHINGTON (States Newsroom) — Higher electric rates? Massive data centers looming over neighborhoods? Ugly political fights over what to do about them? The future of data centers and their huge appetite for electricity is quickly escalating as a political flashpoint from coast to coast, moving from cities and states now to the nation’s capital. Bills are under debate in Congress. The Trump administration has weighed in. Lobbying is intensifying…
Data center battles started in the states. Now it’s Congress under siege. - The Lexington Times
By David Lightman, Kentucky Lantern · May 22, 2026 Community members protest ahead of a special Box Elder County Commission meeting to discuss the Stratos project, a massive data center proposed for an unincorporated area in Box Elder County, Utah, on May 4, 2026. (Photo by Alixel Cabrera/Utah News Dispatch) WASHINGTON — Higher electric rates? Massive data centers looming over neighborhoods? Ugly political fights over what to do about them? The…
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