AI Data Center Anger Is From the ‘Fringes,’ Host Digital Chair Says

Name: AI Data Center Anger Is From the ‘Fringes,’ Host Digital Chair Says
Uploaded: 2026-10-28T17:41:26.000Z
Duration: 5 min 30 s
Description: Host Digital Chairman Shawn Matthews says data center opposition can be reduced by developing projects in locations with existing power, real estate and community capacity. He discusses the company’s early-stage project in Northeast Oklahoma, which he says could create construction and long-term jobs while expanding the local tax base.

News Clip5:30Bloomberg Tech·OK·10/28/2026

Host Digital Chairman Shawn Matthews says data center opposition can be reduced by developing projects in locations with existing power, real estate and community capacity. He discusses the company’s early-stage project in Northeast Oklahoma, which he says could create construction and long-term jobs while expanding the local tax base.

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Host Digital Chairman Shawn Matthews told Bloomberg Tech that backlash against AI data centers is driven largely by political polarization and concerns about power availability, rather than opposition to development in every location. He argued that projects should be placed where adequate electricity and real estate already exist and said developers must work with local communities instead of proposing oversized facilities.

Matthews highlighted Host Digital’s Northeast Oklahoma site as a case study. The company is initially considering a 20- to 100-megawatt project on an existing footprint, with construction activity, permanent jobs and a larger local tax base expected to benefit the regional economy. He also said tightening credit conditions are causing investors to scrutinize counterparties, cash flows and repayment prospects more closely, which he characterized as a healthy market adjustment.