Data centre backlash emerges as unexpected 2024 midterm election issue
Rapid expansion of AI-powered data centres has triggered grassroots opposition across the US, forcing politicians in both parties to stake positions on an infrastructure issue that was largely overlooked a year ago.
What happened
Public opposition to data centre expansion has intensified sharply across the US, with community groups organizing against the projects more than doubling to 833 in the first few months of 2024, according to Data Center Watch. Residents in Indiana, Arizona, Michigan, Pennsylvania and Oregon have raised concerns about the facilities' size, noise, water and energy consumption, and the speed of local approvals. The backlash has prompted political responses: Arizona Governor Katie Hobbs enacted a three-year pause on tax breaks for data centre projects in July; Michigan Democrat Abdul El Sayed made data centre regulation central to his Senate primary campaign; and Ohio Republican Senator John Husted has shifted position to support local control after polling showed majority opposition among Ohio voters. Meanwhile, Democratic candidates in multiple races have opposed new data centre development. The issue has created a rare conflict: President Trump has called the backlash a "sick conspiracy" and criticized those resisting data centre development, positioning his position against the emerging political consensus.
Context
Data centres are now the visible embodiment of rapid AI technology expansion, which has triggered varied public fears. The US currently has roughly 3,000 data centres with the number potentially doubling in coming years, yet federal legislators have had little involvement because construction decisions are made through local permits and rules. New national polling shows AI regulation and data centres rank among top voter concerns this cycle. Research from Brookings Institution indicates data centres create only 100-200 local jobs—fewer than industry claims—with no meaningful impact on local wages, undermining a key argument by project proponents. What was a non-issue one year ago has become a political necessity: according to AI policy adviser Chloe Autio, politicians who articulate a clear position and stick to it in either party "really stands to benefit" from voters angered by or concerned about data centre expansion.