In both Republican and Democratic states, scepticism and hostility towards an unregulated construction boom is growing
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hen blue-collar Trump voters and Maga-friendly midwest states join the same cause as Bernie Sanders and liberal California teachers, something novel is afoot. Last month it was the turn of the Republican party in Texas to express forthright opposition to the construction of datacentres for artificial intelligence, pending adequate environmental safeguards for local communities. Across the United States, similar campaigns are being waged, as voters from across the political spectrum rail against the outsize influence and power of big tech.
For the White House, which has made the rapid rollout of datacentres a priority in its AI action plan, the scale of the protests is an unwelcome surprise. One of Donald Trump’s first acts on returning to office was to authorise the deregulated “build, baby, build” approach demanded by the Silicon Valley backers who helped to fund his campaign. Industry giants such Amazon and Microsoft are driving an estimated $710bn worth of investment in datacentres this year, as they stake their future on staying ahead in the AI race.
The boom is also coming at a political price for states which have courted that capital through tax breaks and other subsidies. Local downsides come in the form of higher electricity bills for consumers and intense pressure on local water systems and grids, as a result of the centres’ voracious energy requirements. Alarmingly for Mr Trump, a sense that big tech’s needs are being prioritised over those of hard-pressed voters appears to be cutting through among the Maga rank and file ahead of midterm elections in November.
