The war on data centers has intensified to the point that localities across the country are banning them outright or stopping them through targeted zoning and regulation. The concerns are understandable. The political response is not.
Public opposition has jumped 12 percentage points in four months, with 61% now saying they oppose building new data centers, according to the Annenberg Public Policy Center. Opponents held 142 protests in 42 states on July 18, citing water use, noise, electricity demand, outages, pollution, and property values.
There is an obvious alternative for people who do not want a data center built on a particular parcel: Buy the land.
Trending: Gratitude is not perspective. It is remembering mercy.
Predictably, politicians are turning against the industry.
On August 18, Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro (D) signed an executive order restricting data center construction
Continue reading
Join the conversation!
Please share your thoughts about this article below. We value your opinions, and would love to see you add to the discussion!