Data Center Politics

Non-partisan, independent tracking of the issue that is tearing through American politics like a wildfire.

How far with this conflict go?

[Data Center Politics @DataCenterPol]

@AGHamilton29 Respectfully, X is a politically partisan and economically invested actor here, not a legitimate source.

They can't "confirm" anything, except their own advocacy.

[Data Center Politics @DataCenterPol]

Great quote ✅✅

I would emphasize also it's that people feel poor.

I know economists debate if that are actually poor...but young folks feel the job market is terrible, middle-aged folks feel that homes are unaffordable, and seniors feel that social security is at risk. AI takes that blame.

[Data Center Politics @DataCenterPol]

I agree. Americans are uniting against data centers. It's a sign of post-partisan politics. The industry needs to offer a better deal to change people's hearts and minds.

[The New Republic @newrepublic]

The Data Center Backlash Is a Rare Bright Spot in American Politics https://t.co/xJErEMNEtB

[Data Center Politics @DataCenterPol]

@cremieuxrecueil I think it's all cost of living.

The tech industry seems totally unaware by how financially pressed Americans feel right now.

[unusual_whales @unusual_whales]

"Data center developers are starting to realize that prioritizing the AI speed race over public approval might not have been the smartest move," per Bloomberg.

[Data Center Politics @DataCenterPol]

Tech should obviously be throwing money at clean energy.

[Matthew Yglesias @mattyglesias]

I don’t think it makes a ton of sense to complain that tech companies are investing *too much* money in clean energy.

[Brendan Steinhauser @bstein80]

Everyone is making a U-turn on data centers as public support craters - POLITICO https://t.co/fiQtqCuwsx

[Andrew Howard @andrewjfhoward]

I watched more than 100 ads that mentioned data centers so you don't have to. Not one spot ran by a candidate has presented them in a positive light.

More on the ever-fascinating politics of data centers here:

[Data Center Politics @DataCenterPol]

This illustrates how fast the backlash has come....few politicians today would want to spend their political capital arguing to tax breaks for data centers...

[Conor Sen @conorsen]

Maybe I’m missing it but I don’t get the justification for tax breaks for data centers. They should be paying communities.

[Data Center Politics @DataCenterPol]

"only promises of future riches"....to make us sacrifice today. exactly.

[Liz Amill 🦅🇺🇸 @sotexsis]

@DataCenterPol Harvesting human intellect with a single overriding goal: to reach singularity first

Human intellect is mined like ore & like the ore, they have no financial stake in the final product

Only promises of future riches.

[Data Center Politics @DataCenterPol]

It's a full stack backlash against data centers from both parties, from Ken Paxton to Bernie Sanders.

It's as American as loving Mom and gorging in apple pie this summer

[Brendan Steinhauser @bstein80]

I spoke to @washingtonpost about how the politics of data centers is impacting the U.S. Senate race in Texas.

https://t.co/6nVNRNJD96

[Data Center Politics @DataCenterPol]

I mostly disagree with this post. He says data centers are about democracy and age and cultural alienation.

I don't see that.

People hate data centers because the country feels poor right now. People can't get jobs. Meanwhile the AI industry is inventing hyper scale wealth.

that's the public mood

[Astead @AsteadWH]

New post: Pulled together all we've heard about data centers after tracking the issue for the past year.

A big thing that's stuck out: it's morphed from an opposition driven by environmental/electricity concerns to one about larger anxiety about AI, out-of-touch elected officials, and a growing resentment of tech oligarchs

Read "The Midterms Actually" @voxdotcom @Substack

https://t.co/r0IsimVQPd

[Data Center Politics @DataCenterPol]

My friend, people argue with the hearts not their brains.

People oppose data centers because they feel absolutely screwed economically. Meanwhile the AI industry has come to dominate the economy that they feel screws them.

Data centers and AI has to talk about how they are going to economically protect everyday Americans. They might not feel like that is their job but oh well.

[Data Center @Data_Center_Sol]

Data Center Watch is live.

We make it easier for people to see where data centers are being proposed, what’s already documented, and what currently needs public records work. The site is currently in beta and data is still being accumulated and added live. Updates will be being pushed regularly.

The map tracks proposed and operating sites, sources, NDA/secrecy leads, public money, water, power, and community-submitted evidence. You can also submit sources or FOIA updates for review for data that we are missing, and submit corrections when we got it wrong.

Tap in.

https://t.co/uuxd4iEuYe

[Data Center Politics @DataCenterPol]

great quote in here, one tech guy gets it:

“Nobody wants to lose their job and they’re already feeling squeezed while these very, very rich people who are richer than anything we have ever seen in the history of Earth are making more. And I think people are sick and tired of that.”

[POLITICO @politico]

Data centers’ ‘oh s--t’ moment https://t.co/0rAGua7XYM

[Data Center Politics @DataCenterPol]

@ArmandDoma It's because people feel poor. That's the context.

[Data Center Politics @DataCenterPol]

Alfalfa or AI?

[Matthew Yglesias @mattyglesias]

Maybe the real data center was the cattle feed we met along the way

[Data Center Politics @DataCenterPol]

I guess people hate AI because they see it as an economic inequality engine

[Michael Thomas @curious_founder]

The AI vibes are just terrible.

Just 11% of Americans now feel more excited than concerned about AI, according to a new Pew poll.

[Data Center Politics @DataCenterPol]

The Governor of Texas says data centers "dug their own grave"

[Taylor Goldenstein @taygoldenstein]

Gov. @GregAbbott_TX tells @ABC “basically dug their own grave” + “got the backlash they deserve.”

Asked about his previous comment declaring TX the “epicenter of AI development,” Abbott blames data centers for moving fast, not working w/state/local govt
https://t.co/Or9hhD8R1X

[Mindaugas @MindaugasLT]

Pls get out of your AI pilled bubble and talk to any normal human, ask them what they think about AI. Not that it’s gonna cure cancer next week or help them pay their bills but that they, and everyone around them, will be fired. With no clear solution to what happens then. How hard can this be to grasp.