The National Republican Senatorial Committee (NRSC) has reportedly alerted top AI firms, privately, about the potential political fallout from the negative public opinion surrounding U.S. data centers.
The NRSC disclosed that the Democrats have successfully made data centers a central issue in their campaign to unseat Sen. Jon Husted (R-Ohio). The Republicans fear that if Husted is defeated and data centers are held responsible, it could discourage politicians across the country from backing future data center projects, Axios reported on Wednesday, citing a memo.
Democrats are responding to growing public concerns over data centers. Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro, who previously supported them, has shifted toward tighter regulation, signing an executive order imposing "strict guardrails" on data-center development.
The GOP is calling on AI firms to take steps to mitigate the public backlash. The memo warns that a loss for Husted could have far-reaching implications for AI companies’ plans to establish data centers nationwide to power future AI generations. The Republicans caution that if the public’s perception of data centers is not quickly addressed, the campaign against them could spread beyond Ohio.
