{"id":30944,"date":"2026-05-29T10:32:08","date_gmt":"2026-05-29T10:32:08","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/microvibenews.com\/?p=30944"},"modified":"2026-05-29T10:32:08","modified_gmt":"2026-05-29T10:32:08","slug":"the-race-to-build-ai-data-centers-before-the-people-can-protest","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/microvibenews.com\/?p=30944","title":{"rendered":"The Race to Build AI Data Centers \u2014 Before the People Can Protest"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><\/p>\n<div>\n<p>\n  <iframe src=\"https:\/\/embed.acast.com\/intercept-presents\/the-race-to-build-ai-data-centers-before-the-people-can-prot?accentColor=111111&amp;bgColor=f5f6f7&amp;logo=false\" frameborder=\"0\" scrolling=\"no\" class=\"acast-player__embed\"><\/iframe>\n<\/p>\n<p><!-- END-BLOCK(acast)[0] --><\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><span class=\"has-underline\">Shark Tank\u2019s Kevin O\u2019Leary<\/span> has been making the media rounds defending the 40,000-acre data center project he\u2019s backing in northern Utah. Dismissing residents\u2019 <a href=\"https:\/\/www.sltrib.com\/news\/environment\/2026\/05\/27\/another-water-rights-application\/\">concerns<\/a> over the environmental impacts and water demands of the proposed project in the drought-stricken Great Salt Lake region, O\u2019Leary has claimed protesters are \u201c<a href=\"https:\/\/www.sltrib.com\/news\/2026\/05\/05\/kevin-oleary-says-protesters\/\">bused in<\/a>,\u201d \u201c<a href=\"https:\/\/www.nbcnews.com\/video\/shorts\/kevin-o-leary-addresses-backlash-over-utah-data-center-264069701883\">misinformed<\/a>,\u201d and alleged that <a href=\"https:\/\/www.sltrib.com\/news\/2026\/05\/15\/tucker-carlson-kevin-oleary-debate\/\">China<\/a> has had a hand in orchestrating the public push back.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cThe Stratos project in Utah is an example of data center largesse,\u201d says Jim Walsh, the policy director of <a href=\"https:\/\/www.foodandwaterwatch.org\/2026\/03\/05\/how-to-stop-a-data-center-near-you\/\">Food and Water Watch<\/a>, an organization leading a campaign to stop the rapid development of data centers across the country. As proposed, the project would be more than double the size of Manhattan. Walsh adds, \u201cIt\u2019s important to recognize that the impacts of this data center go beyond the water and energy concerns that impact the residents of Salt Lake. They\u2019re going to be pulling gas from the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.sltrib.com\/news\/2026\/05\/26\/once-bankrupt-ruby-pipeline-center\/\">Ruby Pipeline<\/a>, and this project is going to perpetuate more <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nrdc.org\/stories\/fracking-101#why-is\">fracking<\/a> in the Western U.S., a practice for extracting natural gas that uses extreme amounts of water.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">This week on The Intercept Briefing, host Jordan Uhl speaks to Walsh about the massive Utah project, the environmental and economic impact of data centers on communities especially where water is already scarce, and the Trump administration\u2019s push to cut regulations at the federal and local level to accelerate the build-out of data centers and AI infrastructure.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In response to O\u2019Leary claiming data center development is a national security priority to beat out China in the AI race, Walsh says, \u201cNational security isn\u2019t just about having technological and military superiority.\u201d We\u2019re not safe if we don\u2019t have clean air and clean water to drink and breathe. We\u2019re not safe if our communities have massive data centers that are extracting our natural resources. Our entire economy functions on access to water.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">For more, listen to the full conversation of The Intercept Briefing on <a href=\"https:\/\/podcasts.apple.com\/us\/podcast\/the-intercept-briefing\/id1195206601\">Apple Podcasts<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/open.spotify.com\/show\/2js8lwDRiK1TB4rUgiYb24?si=e3ce772344ee4170\">Spotify<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/playlist?list=PLW0Gy9pTgVnvgbvfd63A9uVpks3-uwudj\">YouTube<\/a> or wherever you listen.<\/p>\n<h2 id=\"h-transcript\" class=\"wp-block-heading\">Transcript<\/h2>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Jordan Uhl:\u00a0<\/strong>Welcome to The Intercept Briefing, I\u2019m Jordan Uhl, your host today.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Jessica Washington: <\/strong>I\u2019m Jessica Washington, politics reporter at The Intercept.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Jonah Valdez: <\/strong>And I\u2019m Jonah Valdez, another politics reporter here at The Intercept.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>JU:<\/strong> So Jess, Jonah, we\u2019re talking to you both today because the California primary is days away: June 2. While there are a few notable races that have captured national attention, one here where I live in Los Angeles is the mayoral primary.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">We\u2019ve got a few contenders. It is looking tight at the top with a few <a href=\"https:\/\/ballotpedia.org\/Mayoral_election_in_Los_Angeles,_California_(2026)\">candidates jockeying <\/a>for one of these top two positions. Jess, could you give us an overview of this race?<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>JW:<\/strong> As the only non-Angeleno on the podcast, I\u2019m going to try and do a good job. So something important to keep in mind before we even get into the candidates is because of how California\u2019s primary system works, if no candidate gets a majority of the vote \u2014\u00a0so over 50 percent \u2014 the top two are going to go off to a runoff election in November.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The candidates in this race are the incumbent mayor, <a href=\"https:\/\/ballotpedia.org\/Karen_Bass\">Karen Bass<\/a>. She has been leading in every poll, but it should have been really a slam-dunk election, and yet it isn\u2019t. We can get into more of why in a minute. But her opponent is really interesting; two opponents are interesting. So first, there\u2019s reality star <a href=\"https:\/\/ballotpedia.org\/Spencer_Pratt\">Spencer Pratt<\/a>, who has been consistently polling in second place, although in more recent polling he\u2019s looking to lose a little bit of steam. Then the other candidate is council member <a href=\"https:\/\/ballotpedia.org\/Nithya_Raman\">Nithya Raman<\/a>, a Democratic socialist who\u2019s not endorsed by <a href=\"https:\/\/www.latimes.com\/california\/story\/2026-03-22\/democratic-socialists-of-america-wont-endorse-in-race-for-la-mayor\">DSA LA, but is recommended by them<\/a>. So that\u2019s the mix that\u2019s happening in this election right now.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>JU:<\/strong> Jonah, there are a few other contenders that could be potentially pulling votes from Nithya Raman or might be waiting to decide till last minute. What is this looking like on the ground? Who have you talked to and what are you hearing?<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>JV:<\/strong> My focus has been on LA\u2019s left, if you will, and how there might be what people are calling some vote-splitting among the left. And that\u2019s because not only is there Nithya Raman who, as Jessie said, is a Democratic socialist, but there\u2019s also Rev. <a href=\"https:\/\/ballotpedia.org\/Rae_Chen_Huang\">Rae Huang<\/a>, who is a housing advocate.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">She\u2019s a Presbyterian minister. She actually was in the race before Nithya and was the only DSA candidate, Democratic Socialist candidate, in the race at the time. She launched two weeks after Mamdani\u2019s win in New York, so she has all this buzz going into it. The <a href=\"https:\/\/www.latimes.com\/california\/newsletter\/2025-11-15\/la-on-the-record-an-activist-is-challenging-bass-from-the-left\">LA Times was asking<\/a>, is she LA\u2019s Mamdani? <\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">So that\u2019s the framing that she entered the race in, and it excited a lot of progressives here in the left in Los Angeles. But as soon as Nithya joined the race, very last minute, and the rise of Spencer Pratt, you have this threat of this right-wing figure. Sure, this is a nonpartisan election, but the things he\u2019s saying, demonizing homelessness and really getting on Karen Bass around her record and the fires. There\u2019s this tangible threat now that Spencer Pratt could be in the runoff with Karen Bass, which is a pretty worst-case scenario for LA\u2019s left that is trying to push LA\u2019s politics in a different direction. <\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Right now, the contention for a lot of voters in LA\u2019s left is between, do I vote for Nithya Raman, someone who I at least agree with, but have to hold my nose on some issues, like <a href=\"https:\/\/www.latimes.com\/california\/story\/2026-02-12\/nithya-raman-running-for-mayor-says-la-shouldnt-lose-more-cops#:~:text=L.A.%20mayoral%20candidate%20Nithya%20Raman,which%20has%20about%208%2C700%20officers.\">police accountability<\/a>, where she has fallen short in the eyes of some of her opponents? Or Rae Huang, who has a bolder vision? Some members of <a href=\"https:\/\/jacobin.com\/2026\/04\/los-angeles-democratic-socialism-municipal-politics\">DSA LA<\/a> have said that she has the true socialist platform amongst the two Democratic Socialist members. I should say that Rae Huang is only polling at about <a href=\"https:\/\/www.newsweek.com\/spencer-pratts-chances-in-los-angeles-mayor-race-less-than-week-to-primary-12000802\">5 percent<\/a>. That\u2019s nowhere near the second place spot to get into the runoff.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>JU:<\/strong> We\u2019re seeing a wide array of polling in this race, and there was a new poll that dropped on Thursday morning from <a href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/PollTracker2024\/status\/2059980624518111513?s=20\">Berkeley IGS<\/a>, which had Bass, unsurprisingly, in the top spot with 26 percent. But in second place, this I think caught many people off guard, Nithya Raman at 25 percent, Spencer Pratt at 22, and Rae Huang at 9 percent, with 10 percent undecided. That presents a totally different outlook going into the general in this runoff.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">But Jess, I want to bring you back in here. Spencer Pratt was widely considered to have a guaranteed spot in the runoff because he had a ton of press, a ton of buzz, especially from outside LA. He had <a href=\"https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/us-news\/2026\/may\/21\/spencer-pratt-los-angeles-mayor-trump\">Trump\u2019s endorsement<\/a>. He\u2019s been getting featured in national press.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">One of the things that he really rose to prominence on was his criticism of Karen Bass, like Jonah said, for her, \u201chandling of the fire.\u201d But I think many people who live here felt that some of it was disingenuous because those fires were exacerbated by the <a href=\"https:\/\/abcnews.com\/US\/science-la-wildfires\/story?id=117671685#:~:text=It%20was%20the%20wind%20that,the%20weather%20conditions%20were%20coming.\">Santa Ana winds<\/a>. You can only do so much as mayor.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">You can\u2019t get helicopters up in the air in 80-mile-an-hour winds to fight those fires. So I think some of it came off as very disingenuous to people here in LA. But what are you hearing? What are you seeing from Spencer Pratt that puts him even in contention?<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>JW:<\/strong> For anyone who doesn\u2019t know who Spencer Pratt is, he\u2019s this former reality star from \u201cThe Hills.\u201d He\u2019s the guy who told <a href=\"https:\/\/people.com\/tv\/spencer-pratt-and-heidi-montag-on-losing-millions-of-dollars\/\">People Magazine<\/a> that he blew, I think, about $1 million on crystals, blowing through his $10 million reality television fortune on other lavish purchases. So that\u2019s just a little bit of who Spencer Pratt is, the guy who yelled at women on television for about a decade.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">But the reason he\u2019s catching steam, I think, is twofold. I think, one, the fires are a very visceral moment. The mayor obviously has no control over the fires, but the fact that she was in <a href=\"https:\/\/abc7.com\/post\/mayor-karen-bass-admits-ghana-trip-before-wildfires-was-mistake\/15929179\/\">Ghana during the Palisades fire<\/a> did really anger a lot of people. The fact that she didn\u2019t come home until the following day is a large part of that narrative.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The other thing that\u2019s happening is also people\u2019s concerns over homelessness. What Spencer Pratt is pushing is we have to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.latimes.com\/california\/story\/2026-05-19\/forced-treatment-jail-spencer-pratts-pledges-to-end-homelessness-roil-mayors-race\">arrest, arrest, arrest, force treatment<\/a>. But if you talk to most people on this issue, homelessness is caused by <a href=\"https:\/\/theintercept.com\/2025\/08\/29\/briefing-podcast-housing-working-homeless\/\">housing, unaffordability, and inequality in our system<\/a>, and those are huge issues to tackle.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Spencer Pratt is not looking to tackle those issues. He is looking to move people out of spaces where he and his friends can see them. It\u2019s also worth noting that his plans of mass arrest also aren\u2019t going to even fix that problem. But what you\u2019re looking at in Los Angeles is <a href=\"https:\/\/www.latimes.com\/california\/story\/2026-05-27\/mayor-karen-bass-is-in-toughest-reelection-fight-of-her-career-she-says-she-intends-to-win-it\">frustration over Karen Bass\u2019s<\/a> handling of these fires and this kind of visible problem of homelessness that frustrates people on both sides of this issue.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">That\u2019s what Spencer Pratt has really honed in on. I think it\u2019s important to note that none of his solutions are going to fix any of those problems, but he is tapping into a real anger and a real frustration in the electorate.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>JU:<\/strong> Yeah I think what\u2019s interesting to watch is the national support for Spencer Pratt. But that comes at a cost for him because 80 percent of his donors don\u2019t live in Los Angeles, according to analysis that I saw from one <a href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/iamgabesanchez\/status\/2059317322821824602?s=20\">Gabe Sanchez<\/a>. And sure, you can run ads, you can get press, but that doesn\u2019t necessarily mean that people within the city, within your jurisdiction, would vote for you.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">What I found so interesting and Jonah, I want to bring you back in here, people dug up some of his old appearances or guest <a href=\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/reel\/DYLbrZTz1Kv\/\">appearances on Infowars with Alex Jones<\/a>, and during one of those interviews, he talked about his belief that climate change was a hoax.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">What I found so ironic is that this is somebody who made <a href=\"https:\/\/www.usatoday.com\/story\/entertainment\/celebrities\/2026\/05\/11\/spencer-pratt-la-mayor-candidate-heidi-montag-wildfires\/90027165007\/\">losing his home<\/a> in the Palisades fire a centerpiece of his campaign, but we know that worsening <a href=\"https:\/\/wildlife.ca.gov\/Science-Institute\/Wildfire-Impacts#wcc\">climate change<\/a> leads to more frequent and more severe wildfires. So on the one hand, you have somebody who believes it\u2019s a hoax. At the same time, he\u2019s making a byproduct of climate change the centerpiece of his campaign.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Jonah, what stood out to you?<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>JV:<\/strong> I think to Jessie\u2019s point as far as demonizing the homeless population in LA, his rhetoric around that is concerning, not just on the level of, this is going to hurt a lot of the gains that housing advocates have fought for in LA County for years, but even just on the level of basic humanity.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">He\u2019s referred to unhoused people as <a href=\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/reel\/DYCsJ2PRnge\/\">fentanyl-addicted<\/a> <a href=\"https:\/\/www.wired.com\/story\/spencer-pratt-is-creating-panic-over-super-meth-the-drug-trope-that-wont-die\/\">zombies<\/a>. Like a constant refrain for him is telling people to go outside and go to your freeway underpass, talk to a homeless person, and ask them. He\u2019s assuming they don\u2019t want housing, that\u2019s not what they want, they just want their next high. They just want to be on drugs.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">This is all in the face of <a href=\"https:\/\/www.latimes.com\/opinion\/story\/2023-10-04\/homelessness-drugs-addiction-encampments-substance-abuse-unhoused-police\">studies showing<\/a> that most people who do have drug addiction or in substance use addiction on the streets is a result of being unhoused \u2014 and not the other way around. And so I think he does exist in this bubble of distorted reality.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">LA is still seen as this liberal bastion along with California as a whole, but there are a lot of folks here who voted just a couple years ago for someone like <a href=\"https:\/\/www.latimes.com\/california\/story\/2022-04-03\/rick-caruso-no-one-feels-safe-in-los-angeles-what-do-residents-say\">Rick Caruso<\/a>, who preyed on a lot of these similar fears of course from a different standpoint of crime and safety. So these fearmongering tactics are being recycled again and again.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">I was talking to sources yesterday, other voters, and there is some reality to what [Pratt is] saying, which is like LA is struggling. Angelenos are struggling. A lot of the nation is struggling economically, but how you diagnose that matters.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>JU:<\/strong> So why has this mayoral election captured the national interest? Jess, I want to start with you, and then we\u2019ll go to you, Jonah.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>JW:<\/strong> It\u2019s captured the national interest partially because it feels like this perfect allegory for the 2016 election. You have this Trumpian figure, you have liberal-left infighting, so I think that\u2019s part of it. But I also think for someone like me, who cares a lot about policy around housing and homelessness, this is about the spread of very dangerous ideas about people, about the idea that we can call people zombies, we can mass arrest them, and these ideas around homelessness are spreading all across the country.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>JV:<\/strong> For me, it\u2019s a lot of the same questions that the left in LA is facing could be amplified to a national level as well, and a lot of this infighting, a lot of it is just lack of organization. And I think one example of that is for listeners who don\u2019t know, there are actually four DSA members on city council, one of which is Nithya Raman, who is running.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">However, three of those <a href=\"https:\/\/www.latimes.com\/california\/story\/2026-05-19\/city-council-progressives-snub-raman-endorse-bass-in-la-mayors-race\">DSA members didn\u2019t endorse<\/a> their fellow DSA member for mayor. They actually endorsed the incumbent Mayor Bass. So a lot of that back and forth and mixed messaging to the public could really hurt movements and coalition-building. DSA LA has told me that\u2019s one of the things they hope to fix, which is more organization within city council to increase their influence there, and that starts with being on the same page.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">That messaging here and a lot of these lessons could be amplified on the national stage as well.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>JW:<\/strong> We\u2019ve also seen similar signals from the Trump administration with executive orders <a href=\"https:\/\/theintercept.com\/2025\/08\/29\/briefing-podcast-housing-working-homeless\/\">targeting the homeless population<\/a>. The <a href=\"https:\/\/www.npr.org\/2024\/06\/28\/nx-s1-4992010\/supreme-court-homeless-punish-sleeping-encampments\">Supreme Court<\/a> has also moved to weaken protections for unhoused people living on the streets.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">These are policies and rhetoric that are truly taking root at the highest levels, and we need to be paying attention to them.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>JU:<\/strong> And these hollow pandering overtures to different demographics, I think, are just jarring. Maybe it\u2019s a byproduct of the Trump era, but just don\u2019t garner the raised eyebrows that they typically would.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The headline I saw on Wednesday in <a href=\"https:\/\/www.tmz.com\/2026\/05\/27\/spencer-pratt-eats-mexican-food-more-than-white-person-los-angeles\/\">TMZ<\/a> that \u201cSpencer Pratt loves Mexican food and Eats it More Than Any White Person in Los Angeles\u201d made me laugh, but also I found myself feeling very confused. Like, why is this news? But it fits within a broader pattern from that campaign where he\u2019s just trying to pander to the sizable Latino community in Los Angeles.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">We see that also with his <a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=Ki3cPUWLKgo\">AI ads<\/a>. Latinos for Pratt doesn\u2019t seem to have an actual <a href=\"https:\/\/www.latimes.com\/california\/story\/2026-04-02\/latinos-por-pratt-video-karen-basura\">real or tangible base<\/a> in the electorate. Maybe he does, but those AI ads have been widely mocked or parodied and some have gone viral, even those not made by his campaign.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The proliferation of AI ads in this cycle, I think, segues us into our next conversation with Jim Walsh, the policy director of Food and Water Watch, where we talked about the proliferation of AI data centers across the country.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>JW:<\/strong> Let\u2019s listen to that conversation.<\/p>\n<div class=\"newsletter-embed flex-col items-center print:hidden\" id=\"third-party--article-mid\" data-module=\"InlineNewsletter\" data-module-source=\"web_intercept_20241230_Inline_Signup_Replacement\">\n<div class=\"-mx-5 sm:-mx-10 p-5 sm:px-10 xl:-ml-5 lg:mr-0 xl:px-5 bg-accentLight hidden\" data-name=\"subscribed\">\n<h2 class=\"font-sans font-light uppercase text-[30px] leading-8 text-white tracking-[0.01em] mb-0\">\n      We\u2019re independent of corporate interests \u2014 and powered by members. 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I appreciate it.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>JU:<\/strong> Jim, there are over <a href=\"https:\/\/www.pewresearch.org\/short-reads\/2026\/04\/13\/most-new-data-centers-in-the-us-are-coming-to-rural-areas\/\">3,000 operational data centers<\/a> across the country and more than 1,500 in development, according to Pew Research. Data centers aren\u2019t new, but let\u2019s start with the basics. What do they do, and how is the growing demand for AI transforming the energy needs of facilities?<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>JW:<\/strong> I think most people hear about data centers, they think about clouds and streaming and maybe searching or AI. But data centers themselves are these massive rows of servers that require large amounts of water infrastructure, electricity, cooling, land, and also backup power. The scale of these is really hard to grasp because most people don\u2019t think in terawatt hours \u2014 but that\u2019s exactly what we\u2019re talking about for energy demand.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The Lawrence Berkeley National Lab found that U.S. data centers used about<a href=\"https:\/\/bies.lbl.gov\/news\/berkeley-lab-report-evaluates-increase-electricity-demand-data-centers\"> 176 terawatts of electricity<\/a> in 2023. This is about how much electricity it takes to power <a href=\"https:\/\/iaeimagazine.org\/electrical-fundamentals\/how-much-electricity-does-a-data-center-use-complete-2025-analysis\/\">16 million homes<\/a> for an entire year. And that number is expected to grow to 580 terawatts annually; it\u2019s roughly equivalent to 50 million homes.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Data centers also use immense quantities of water. We\u2019re talking hundreds of billions of gallons of water annually with projections that they\u2019ll use as much as 18.5 million households <a href=\"https:\/\/www.foodandwaterwatch.org\/2025\/04\/09\/artificial-intelligence-water-climate\/?ms=some_fb_04192025_NAT-c3-ai-web-piece-april-2025&amp;oms=some_fb_04192025_NAT-c3-ai-web-piece-april-2025\">by 2028<\/a>. Nearly 60 percent of this coming from <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nature.com\/articles\/s41545-021-00101-w\">drinking water supplies<\/a>. It\u2019s really important to note that a lot of this is coming from <a href=\"https:\/\/www.bloomberg.com\/graphics\/2025-ai-impacts-data-centers-water-data\/?embedded-checkout=true\">drought-stressed areas<\/a> that are compounding existing water scarcity concerns.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Beyond that, we\u2019re also seeing that data centers can create significant <a href=\"https:\/\/envirodatagov.org\/communities-close-to-epa-regulated-data-centers-face-heightened-air-pollution\/\">pollution burdens <\/a>for communities. When data centers use fossil fuels, they\u2019re polluting our air and water to meet their energy needs, but the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.eesi.org\/articles\/view\/data-centers-are-contributing-to-pfas-forever-chemical-pollution\">chemicals<\/a> also used in cooling data centers can pollute our water. Even when chemicals aren\u2019t used, evaporative cooling systems can <a href=\"https:\/\/www.foodandwaterwatch.org\/2026\/04\/10\/data-center-greenwashing\/\">concentrate pollution<\/a> already in water.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">We saw this happen in Oregon, where an <a href=\"https:\/\/oregoncapitalchronicle.com\/2026\/03\/31\/amazon-to-pay-20-5-million-settlement-over-northeast-oregon-nitrate-pollution\/\">Amazon data center<\/a> was implicated and agreed to pay out $20 million due to elevated nitrate levels in water that coincided with the development of the data center. Now, Amazon never added nitrates to their water systems, but the water that came out of their facilities seemed to have increased the concentration of nitrates in the water because of water evaporation through their cooling systems.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Those elevated nitrate levels have been linked to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.rollingstone.com\/culture\/culture-features\/data-center-water-pollution-amazon-oregon-1235466613\/\">increases in cancer and premature births and miscarriages<\/a> in the communities where that data center is located.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>JU:<\/strong> Now, in early May, a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.sltrib.com\/news\/environment\/2026\/05\/21\/utah-gov-spencer-cox-says-rollout\/\">quasi-governmental<\/a> <a href=\"https:\/\/www.sltrib.com\/news\/politics\/2026\/05\/01\/what-we-know-about-mida-its-link\/\">agency<\/a> in Utah approved a massive AI data center project. Known as the Stratos project, it is expected to cover more than 40,000 acres in northwestern Utah. For context, that\u2019s more than twice the size of Manhattan.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The project, which is backed by the venture capitalist and \u201cShark Tank\u201d regular Kevin O\u2019Leary, has sparked <a href=\"https:\/\/www.fox13now.com\/news\/local-news\/box-elder-county\/group-files-application-to-challenge-box-elder-county-data-center-approval\">local outrage<\/a>. Could you tell us about this data center project and why community members are concerned?<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>JW:<\/strong> The Stratos project in Utah is an example of data center largesse. You talked about 40,000 acres, double the size of Manhattan. It also would <a href=\"https:\/\/utahcleanenergy.org\/estimated-emissions-and-water-consumption-from-the-proposed-stratos-data-center\/\">double the state\u2019s energy demand<\/a>. It would also be located near the Great Salt Lake, which is already facing <a href=\"https:\/\/www.fox13now.com\/news\/utah-drought\/gov-cox-declares-state-of-emergency-over-drought\">record droughts<\/a>, like much of the United States. So it\u2019s really no surprise that this and other projects in Utah are facing tremendous public opposition.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In response to the backlash, communities in Utah are putting the brakes on data centers, and the Utah legislature is actually gearing up to potentially require <a href=\"https:\/\/www.ksl.com\/article\/51500330\/utah-lawmakers-to-study-impact-of-data-centers-on-wildlife-environment\">more reporting and studies<\/a> on data center impacts. It\u2019s important to recognize that the impacts of this data center go beyond the water and energy concerns that impact the residents of Salt Lake.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">They\u2019re going to be pulling gas from the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.sltrib.com\/news\/2026\/05\/26\/once-bankrupt-ruby-pipeline-center\/\">Ruby Pipeline<\/a>, and this project is going to perpetuate more <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nrdc.org\/stories\/fracking-101#why-is\">fracking<\/a> in the Western U.S., a practice for extracting natural gas that uses extreme amounts of water. That practice also has a track record of contaminating surface water and spreading radioactive waste generated from fracking operations.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">And because of the segmented <a href=\"https:\/\/www.sltrib.com\/news\/environment\/2026\/05\/21\/utah-gov-spencer-cox-says-rollout\/\">permitting process<\/a> and the segmented evaluative process, nobody\u2019s actually looking at the full impacts of this project or any data center projects, including the sources of energy. Which \u2014 if they\u2019re going to be gas plants in the United States \u2014 probably means more fracking and more water pollution before you even get to the impacts of the data center themselves.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>JU:<\/strong> Now, we should note, we invited Kevin O\u2019Leary on this show to share his point of view. As of this recording, we have not heard back, but here he is on \u201c<a href=\"https:\/\/www.foxnews.com\/video\/6393993618112\">Fox &amp; Friends<\/a>\u201d<a href=\"https:\/\/www.sltrib.com\/news\/environment\/2026\/05\/21\/utah-gov-spencer-cox-says-rollout\/\"> <\/a>talking about the project recently.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Kevin O\u2019Leary:<\/strong> Utah stepped up and said, \u201cLook, we can compete. Not only do we have the land, 40,000 acres, we\u2019ve got a pipeline running through the land, and we have this designation that can accelerate permitting.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">It\u2019s really about how do we catch up with the Chinese are doing because most people don\u2019t like data centers for good reason. You tap it to the grid, and all of a sudden the electrical costs for their church and the community and the residents all go up, and that\u2019s why there\u2019s been a lot of pushback.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Not in this case. We\u2019re building power from scratch from the pipeline.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>JU:<\/strong> Jim, what do you make of O\u2019Leary\u2019s argument there?<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>JW:<\/strong> Posing this as a national security issue and a race with China really misses the real issue \u2014 that national security isn\u2019t just about having technological and military superiority.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">We\u2019re not safe if we don\u2019t have clean air and clean water to drink and breathe. We\u2019re not safe if our communities have massive data centers that are extracting our natural resources. Our entire economy functions on access to water. Data centers are jeopardizing that access to water.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">So it\u2019s really easy for the ultrawealthy investor from Canada to come in and say, \u201cHey, we need to have these projects.\u201d But for people that are directly impacted by these projects, it\u2019s not helping them, and it\u2019s not helping their communities.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-pullquote\">\n<blockquote>\n<p>\u201cWe\u2019re not safe if our communities have massive data centers that are extracting our natural resources. Our entire economy functions on access to water.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<\/figure>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>JU: <\/strong>That\u2019s a good segue to where I wanted to take this next. The Salt Lake Tribune <a href=\"https:\/\/www.sltrib.com\/news\/environment\/2026\/05\/21\/utah-gov-spencer-cox-says-rollout\/\">writes<\/a>, \u201cThe full water demands of this project remain unknown, although its developers have said they\u2019re working to secure a 13,000 acre-feet in Hansel Valley and the surrounding area, which is mostly agricultural. That\u2019s enough water to meet the needs of more than 20,000 Utah households.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">One of the biggest concerns about data centers is the amount of water usage they demand. You touched on this a bit already, but why are AI data centers in particular such water-intensive facilities, and why are we seeing more pop-up in areas where <a href=\"https:\/\/qz.com\/data-center-water-use-drought-american-west-051326\">water is already scarce<\/a>?<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>JW:<\/strong> Data centers use tremendous amounts of water for <a href=\"https:\/\/www.eesi.org\/articles\/view\/data-centers-and-water-consumption\">cooling their servers<\/a>. That\u2019s only part of the picture. They also use tremendous amounts of water for their energy needs. As we are facing significant amounts of water scarcity, we\u2019re seeing data centers move into water-scarce regions, and it\u2019s because water isn\u2019t the only concern for data centers. Their biggest price point is actually energy. <\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-pullquote has-text-align-right\">\n<blockquote>\n<p>\u201cTheir biggest price point is actually energy.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<\/figure>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The Stratos Project is being targeted for that area specifically because they were able to get expedited permits, but they also are able to pull from the Ruby Pipeline. And they have a significant flow of inexpensive energy that they\u2019ll be able to pull from.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Now, these project developers don\u2019t care about the larger impacts on communities any more than communities are going to force them to recognize those concerns. They\u2019re trying to brush all of these things under the rug and pretend like they can build these projects and get more water as though it\u2019s an unlimited resource, ignoring the fact that residents in Utah are facing unprecedented amounts of drought, and ignoring the fact that these data centers are going to do more to use up what limited resources are available to the people of Utah than they will to provide any meaningful benefit.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">What good is any benefit if you don\u2019t actually have the water that\u2019s necessary for life?<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">[Break]<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>JU:<\/strong> In Fayette County, Georgia, for instance, another data center has captured national public attention after it came to light that the facility had <a href=\"https:\/\/www.politico.com\/news\/2026\/05\/08\/georgia-data-centers-water-00909988\">drained 30 million gallons of water<\/a>. Residents were experiencing low water pressure and had been told to cut their own water usage. The state is home to more than 200 data centers.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Last week, while questioning the EPA in a committee hearing, Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez held up <a href=\"https:\/\/ocasio-cortez.house.gov\/media\/press-releases\/ocasio-cortez-presses-epa-assistant-administrator-kramer-jeopardizing-clean\">jars full of brown water from residents<\/a> near a large Meta data center in a different county in the state. Here is a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=rOQ-vH5fAk8&amp;feature=youtu.be\">clip<\/a> of Ocasio-Cortez.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez:<\/strong> I visited Morgan County, Georgia, where Meta is building a massive data center campus.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">They are clear-cutting forests and began heavy construction, including explosive blasting. And families in the area are starting to see not only their water pressure decrease, to your point about water availability, but their appliances have all stopped working because it is decimating their water quality.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">They now rely on bottled water to drink and prepare meals, and nearby residents\u2019 water bills are expected to increase by 33 percent.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>JU:<\/strong> Jim, in addition to the impact on local watersheds and wells, what impact do data centers have on the communities they exist in?<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>JW:<\/strong> I want to speak to that clip because I think that clip shows that communities not only lack resources to evaluate the effects of data centers, but also lack resources to effectively regulate and oversee these projects.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">And the federal government is asleep at the wheel. We should not have to have a member of Congress in an open congressional hearing raising concerns that EPA is unaware of, that EPA then commits to investigating after the fact. We need to make sure that these data centers are actually out there to protect the public.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">We\u2019ve seen the impacts go well beyond just the water impacts, as you talked about. But it\u2019s all these impacts are driving the concerns that are pushing Georgia and communities like Augusta Council and others to actively <a href=\"https:\/\/www.wjbf.com\/news\/augusta-commissioners-to-consider-data-center-moratorium\/\">consider moratoriums<\/a> on data centers, to put the brakes on these projects.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-pullquote\">\n<blockquote>\n<p>\u201cCommunities not only lack resources to evaluate the effects of data centers, but also lack resources to effectively regulate and oversee these projects.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<\/figure>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">But even if you create the regulatory structure that we need to protect communities from data centers and determine if they\u2019re even appropriate for certain areas and certain communities, you need to have the resources to actually oversee and regulate and hold these data centers accountable.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">These data centers in Georgia, in Morgan County, was also, implicated for muddied water. The investigation shouldn\u2019t have to come from members of Congress. It should really be found out before these projects are going to come online. If the project developers are <a href=\"https:\/\/www.politico.com\/news\/2026\/05\/08\/georgia-data-centers-water-00909988\">over-pumping<\/a>, extending their permit, or setting up systems behind the meter, which we saw happen in Georgia, to extract more water than they\u2019re supposed to take, we should have regulators in place to oversee these projects and make sure they\u2019re following the rules.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">But these also go significantly beyond water impacts, and that\u2019s what you asked about. For instance, in <a href=\"https:\/\/www.cnbc.com\/2026\/04\/14\/elon-musk-xai-memphis-data-centers.html\">Memphis<\/a>, communities there are raising significant concerns about the air pollution from data centers. And the data center there actually committed to use gas turbines only as backup generation, but then started pivoting to using those turbines around the clock. That means <a href=\"https:\/\/turbinemap.edf.org\/\">around-the-clock pollution<\/a> and around-the-clock harms to the communities around those data centers. <\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">We need to make sure that we not only have the rules in place to ensure that data centers aren\u2019t harming communities, but make sure that we have the resources in place to hold them accountable to these laws and standards once they\u2019re enacted. And we don\u2019t have that right now.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>JU:<\/strong> In addition to the EPA having a reactive approach, seemingly in that hearing being caught off-guard or maybe surprised by the environmental impacts in Georgia that Congresswoman Ocasio-Cortez was pointing out, the Trump administration is also trying to fast-track the development of even more data centers. How are they enabling that?<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>JW:<\/strong> The Trump administration is explicitly [prioritizing] rapid data center build-outs. In their <a href=\"https:\/\/www.whitehouse.gov\/presidential-actions\/2025\/07\/accelerating-federal-permitting-of-data-center-infrastructure\/\">memo<\/a> of July of last year, the executive order rather, it says that they\u2019re going to \u201cfacilitate the rapid and efficient buildout\u201d of AI data centers and related infrastructure by easing regulatory burdens and using <a href=\"https:\/\/theintercept.com\/2025\/10\/08\/trump-ai-alaska-national-park-ambler-road\/\">federally owned land<\/a> and resources for development, as well as working to curtail the development of local rules and regulations focused on AI and associated infrastructure with an <a href=\"https:\/\/www.whitehouse.gov\/presidential-actions\/2025\/12\/eliminating-state-law-obstruction-of-national-artificial-intelligence-policy\/\">executive order<\/a> that came out in December.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">So the Trump administration is really putting their foot on the gas with these projects and really throwing caution to the wind about all the significant impacts that these data centers will have. We\u2019re seeing <a href=\"https:\/\/insideclimatenews.org\/news\/11052026\/epa-proposes-looser-construction-rules-for-gas-plants-data-centers\/\">recent proposals<\/a> to allow energy projects to move forward with construction before gaining federal approvals. This means that communities will see infrastructure built that may never get used.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">And even worse is that the infrastructure <em>will <\/em>be used, but because once you build a power plant, there\u2019s not much else you can do with that land, so regulators may be under immense pressure to grant variances or waivers for projects, which could increase localized pollution for communities.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The administration really treats environmental reviews and public transportation and community safeguards as red tape instead of actual protections. These projects are shaping our water systems, our electric grids, our air quality and land use \u2014 and those impacts will be felt for decades. This is exactly why we need more scrutiny and not less that the Trump administration is pushing forward.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>JU:<\/strong> Yeah, you see how the industry responds to that scrutiny, how they peddle misinformation, how they go after activists and organizations. Even with the Congresswoman Ocasio-Cortez moment \u2014 mocking them. I saw <a href=\"https:\/\/theintercept.com\/2026\/05\/22\/aipac-ai-crypto-and-gambling-are-hiding-their-big-election-spends\/\">Marc Andreessen <\/a>spending his time on Twitter that day <a href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/pmarca\/status\/2057900226456002914\">mocking her<\/a>, that she would even suggest that data centers could make your water brown.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">How else are you seeing supporters of these data centers pushing back to the growing scrutiny and opposition to these development projects?<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>JW:<\/strong> Supporters usually point to tax revenue, construction jobs, digital infrastructure, national security, and competitiveness, like we heard earlier. Some of those benefits might be real, but the reality is, is we\u2019re not looking at these projects in a comprehensive manner. And that\u2019s what the industry wants us to do \u2014 is forget about the broader impacts of data centers by pointing out small, unique potential things that could be seen as benefits to communities.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">These benefits are often overstated compared with long-term public costs. And we saw that in Virginia, studies on the data center boom found that economic benefits <a href=\"https:\/\/jlarc.virginia.gov\/landing-2024-data-centers-in-virginia.asp\">mostly come from construction jobs<\/a> and not ongoing operations. So these short-term construction jobs aren\u2019t providing long-term benefit to communities and usually are actually done by people not in the community, so you\u2019re not even creating local jobs for people in the communities where data centers are being constructed and put together.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">We\u2019re also seeing that data center developers are trying to point to things like \u201c<a href=\"https:\/\/www.foodandwaterwatch.org\/2026\/03\/04\/comprehensive-report-lays-out-case-for-nationwide-moratorium-on-new-data-centers\/\">bring your own power<\/a>\u201d as a way to say they support an affordability agenda, as they hear more and more consumers talk about affordability. They talk about bringing renewable energy to projects. But the reality is these \u201cbring your own power\u201d projects and renewable energy don\u2019t actually do anything to address the massive demand.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Requiring renewable energy at data centers may actually make things worse for the rest of us, because you\u2019re going to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.foodandwaterwatch.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/RPT2_2602_DataCenterMoratorium.pdf\">shift the energy transition<\/a> ability in communities that are looking to do more electrification to replace fossil fuel infrastructure are going to be stuck using fossil fuels, which feeds the data center narrative.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">They can say, \u201cLook, we\u2019re using all renewable energy. Aren\u2019t we great?\u201d But in reality, they\u2019re taking all the renewable energy supplies for themselves <a href=\"https:\/\/eelp.law.harvard.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/Harvard-ELI-Extracting-Profits-from-the-Public.pdf\">while the rest of us are stuck with dirty energy<\/a> that tends to be more expensive and costly. So when we look at these projects, it\u2019s important that we look at them in a comprehensive way and not just the industry sound bites that they\u2019re putting forward to cite narrow perceived benefits of these projects.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>JU:<\/strong> Sen. Bernie Sanders and Rep. Ocasio-Cortez <a href=\"https:\/\/www.foodandwaterwatch.org\/?_gl=1*1uacve*_gcl_au*MTA5OTI2ODIzOS4xNzc5NDYxNTIw*_ga*MjExNTMyMDc1OS4xNzc5NDYxNTIw*_ga_X09714MWYF*czE3Nzk0NjE1MjAkbzEkZzEkdDE3Nzk0NjE1NzQkajYkbDAkaDE4MDQ5MTE1OTc.\">introduced a bill to halt the development of new data centers<\/a>. On one, I want to hear what you could tell us about that bill, but then you also speak to lawmakers across the country, across the political spectrum. What are you hearing from them, and are they receptive to the adverse impacts of data centers?<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>JW:<\/strong> Data center development is moving along way too fast, and communities are being asked to sacrifice water, affordability, their health for the benefits of billionaire tech industries. The Sanders\u2013Ocasio-Cortez AI Data Center Moratorium Act is important because it shows that these concerns have moved from local zoning fights into national politics.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">This legislation is exactly what we need a federal moratorium on data centers until national safeguards are in place. That moratorium will give policymakers an opportunity to better understand the impacts of data centers and protect the public from the significant harms from using millions of gallons of water in drought-stricken regions. The Stratos data center in Utah is going to be using <a href=\"https:\/\/utahcleanenergy.org\/estimated-emissions-and-water-consumption-from-the-proposed-stratos-data-center\/\">tremendous amounts of water<\/a>. That project should be put on hold, along with the rest of them, to make sure that the public is actually protected, not just the benefit of these big tech industries.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-pullquote has-text-align-right\">\n<blockquote>\n<p>\u201c We all know rivers and streams and groundwater don\u2019t stop at municipal boundaries.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<\/figure>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">It\u2019s important to note that many of the decisions relating to data center developments are made by municipal and county governments who often lack resources to do the kind of analysis necessary to make informed decisions about the impacts of data centers. Many of the impacts of data centers go beyond their local boundaries. We all know rivers and streams and groundwater don\u2019t stop at municipal boundaries, and pulling water from one place can impact communities miles away.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">As hundreds of people are turning up to city council meetings across the country <a href=\"https:\/\/www.deseret.com\/business\/2026\/05\/16\/data-centers-bans-moratoriums-state-legislatures-citizen-opposition-initiatives-referendum-artificial-intelligence-water-sair-quality\/\">demanding moratoriums on data centers<\/a>, that is creating more pushback from communities. We\u2019re seeing communities, dozens of communities around the country have actually enacted moratoriums on data centers so they can better understand these impacts, create more comprehensive rules to protect communities from these profit-hungry tech companies. But we also need the federal government to step in and provide support to those communities to help with the environmental reviews, to help provide expertise to better understand the impacts of these projects, so that you\u2019re not dealing with municipal elected officials who are really sitting there with limited resources and limited knowledge about the full impacts of these projects.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In order to get that more comprehensive review, we need to have more federal engagement in understanding these data center impacts, and that starts with putting the brakes on these projects through a moratorium.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>JU:<\/strong> We will continue to look to your organization,<a href=\"https:\/\/www.foodandwaterwatch.org\/2026\/03\/05\/how-to-stop-a-data-center-near-you\/\"> Food &amp; Water Watch<\/a>, for more analysis, more insight.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Jim, I want to thank you for joining us on the Intercept Briefing.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>JW:<\/strong> Thank you very much for having me. I appreciate it.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>JU:<\/strong> This episode was produced by Laura Flynn. Ben Muessig is our editor-in-chief. Maia Hibbett is our managing editor. Chelsey B. Coombs is our social and video producer. Fei Liu is our product and design manager. Nara Shin is our copy editor. William Stanton mixed our show. Legal review by David Bralow.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Slip Stream provided our theme music.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">This show and our reporting at The Intercept doesn\u2019t exist without you. Your donation, no matter the amount, makes a real difference. Keep our investigations free and fearless at <a href=\"https:\/\/join.theintercept.com\/donate\/Donate_Podcast?source=interceptedshoutout&amp;recurring_period=one-time\">theintercept.com\/join<\/a>.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">And if you haven\u2019t already, please subscribe to The Intercept Briefing wherever you listen to podcasts. Do leave us a rating or a review, it helps other listeners to find us.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Let us know what you think of this episode, or if you want to send us a general message, email us at podcasts@theintercept.com. And if you are concerned about a data center project near you send us an email or leave us a voice mail at 530-POD-CAST that\u2019s 530-763-2278<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Until next time, I\u2019m Jordan Uhl.\u00a0<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p><script async src=\"\/\/www.instagram.com\/embed.js\"><\/script>#Race #Build #Data #Centers #People #Protest<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Shark Tank\u2019s Kevin O\u2019Leary has&hellip; <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":30945,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[246],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/microvibenews.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/30944"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/microvibenews.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/microvibenews.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/microvibenews.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/microvibenews.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=30944"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/microvibenews.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/30944\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/microvibenews.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/30945"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/microvibenews.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=30944"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/microvibenews.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=30944"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/microvibenews.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=30944"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}