<\/p>\n
America\u2019s data center<\/span> buildout suffered a resounding defeat in the midterms at all levels of government. Candidates and ballot measures in favor of restricting or altogether stopping the development of the facilities powering the artificial intelligence boom won overwhelmingly on election night.<\/p>\n Newly elected Democratic governors in Georgia, Ohio, and Texas have promised moratoriums on new data center construction and all took tougher stances on regulation than their incumbent Republican opponents. The trend carried over in various congressional races, in which candidates who were critical of their competitors\u2019 record of promoting data center development came out on top, even flipping key districts in Ohio and South Carolina.\u00a0<\/p>\n Many local communities, mostly in Ohio and Illinois, voted directly on their AI concerns and passed a flurry of ballot initiatives restricting data center development \u2014 close to 40 proposals, according to a tracker<\/a> by research firm Redbud Consulting.<\/p>\n \u201cWhat\u2019s good for the AI industry is clearly not good for average voters,\u201d said Shobita Parthasarathy, a public policy professor at the University of Michigan. \u201cI wish that data center operators and the AI industry really take this as a sign that they\u2019re done a very poor job of considering public concern and taking it seriously.\u201d<\/p>\n Parthasarathy pointed out that many Americans are now deciding how they feel about these energy-guzzling facilities based on their experience of living near one and \u201creal knowledge\u201d about their deficiencies. Those concerns range from negative impacts on energy bills, to the environmental and health issues, but also include anger toward the outsized power<\/a> that the tech oligarchy<\/a> wields.\u00a0<\/p>\n Americans\u2019 vote in the midterms has given them a tangible way to fight back, Parthasarathy said: Blocking the brick-and-mortar, water-sucking, heat-spewing buildings that power tech billionaires\u2019 rapid wealth accumulation<\/a>.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n A long track record of polls have recorded Americans\u2019 anger about data centers. About three-quarters of voters polled<\/a> by NBC News on Election Day said they opposed building these facilities in their communities. Those sentiments are consistent with a Heatmap survey<\/a> from August that found a similar proportion of Americans would strongly oppose a new data center near where they live.\u00a0<\/p>\n More than half the voters polled by NBC this week said AI and data centers were a crucial or major factor in their decision, though they were almost equally divided when it came to deciding which party would be better at addressing their AI concerns.\u00a0<\/p>\n The AI industry tried to make a dent in the midterms, but much of their money was focused on a congressional primary in New York, where the cash helped defeat AI critic Alex Bores.\u00a0<\/p>\n In the general election, an Intercept analysis<\/a> found, AI super PACs dramatically scaled back their spending on congressional races compared to primaries amid growing anger toward data centers; only 5 percent of their direct expenditures went toward contested general election races. Industry observers told The Intercept that this suggested developers and tech CEOs have taken note of the electorate souring on AI and data centers.<\/p>\n That\u2019s not to say that tech magnates, more broadly, have been stingy with their money. Elon Musk spent nearly $450 million<\/a> ahead of the midterms, including more than $200 million in Texas, where his companies are headquartered.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cIt shows when an issue is deeply and broadly felt by American people, no amount of money can change their minds.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<\/figure>\n \u201cIf Elon Musk wants to continue to burn half a million dollars to get no results, there are probably other ways he can do that,\u201d said Mitch Jones, deputy director of Food & Water Action, which has advocated for regulations on data centers<\/a> on the federal, state, and local level. \u201cIt shows when an issue is deeply and broadly felt by American people, no amount of money can change their minds.\u201d<\/p>\n Musk\u2019s money wasn\u2019t enough for the races in Texas to go his way. Surprise upsets<\/a> in the state\u2019s Senate and gubernatorial races resulted in victories for, respectively, Democrats James Talarico and Gina Hinojosa<\/a>.\u00a0<\/p>\n Talarico promised to end tax breaks for data center developers and minimum federal requirements to protect the grid, environment, jobs, and transparency. Hinojosa called<\/a> for a moratorium on all data center approvals \u201cuntil laws can be passed by the Legislature to protect Texans.\u201d Outgoing Republican Texas Gov. Greg Abbott had already temporarily halted environmental permitting and grid connections until about the end of the year, but Hinojosa\u2019s proposal would last longer and be more expansive.<\/p>\n Congress\u2019s new incoming class includes many Democrats who have promised to rein in the harms of AI<\/a>. Ohio\u2019s Democratic Sen.-elect Sherrod Brown flipped a district after portraying his opponent in ads as cheerleading the data center industry.<\/p>\n In typically red South Carolina, Democratic Sen.-elect Annie Andrews defeated her opponent, Sen. Darline Graham, after accusing her of being bought by developers. Pro-AI super PAC Building the Future spent $2.5 million<\/a> to support Graham, according to Politico.\u00a0<\/p>\n In Mississippi, Democrat Scott Colom, who called for a temporary ban on data centers, was narrowly ahead<\/a> of his incumbent opponent on Wednesday evening in a state that has not elected a Democrat to the Senate in more than four decades.\u00a0<\/p>\n Just because Trump is expected to veto<\/a> Democrats\u2019 proposals to regulate AI, that doesn\u2019t mean they shouldn\u2019t push for them, said Jones, of Food & Water Action. He\u2019s hoping Congress will approve a ban on \u201cartificial superintelligence<\/a>,\u201d as well as a federal moratorium<\/a> on new data centers<\/a>.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cThey should show the American public they are standing with us and taking actions to force Trump to veto those bills,\u201d Jones said.<\/p>\n Although moratoriums typically target new construction and not existing data centers, Jones says they are still necessary to prevent an even more expansive buildout.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cWe don\u2019t need any more,\u201d he said, citing a Forbes estimate<\/a> that the total cost of the projected buildout ranges from $2.8 trillion by 2030 to $10.30 trillion by 2032 in the U.S.<\/p>\n With Trump still in charge, states led by Democratic governors may be where more forceful regulation on data centers occurs.\u00a0<\/p>\n In Georgia, Democratic Gov.-elect Keisha Lance Bottoms promised a temporary statewide pause on data centers. Ohio\u2019s new incoming Democratic Gov.-elect Amy Acton proposed an \u201cimmediate moratorium<\/a> upon taking office on any new construction.\u201d And in Kansas, Democrat Cindy Holscher<\/a>, who declared victory in the gubernatorial race, has advocated for halting new development.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\nTech Money ? Change Minds<\/strong><\/h2>\n
\n
Promises to Rein In AI<\/strong><\/h2>\n