Data Center Battles Forcing Right-Wing Media To Cover Environmental Justice
Right-wing media is increasingly scrutinizing opponents of data centers, despite previously acknowledging community concerns about resource consumption and utility costs. This shift comes amidst widespread public opposition to data center development across the US and follows New York's enactment of a statewide moratorium on new hyperscale facilities.
The National Memo reports that right-wing media outlets, including Fox Business and Newsmax, have begun to question the motivations and funding of data center opponents, despite previously covering community concerns. This shift occurred after Fox Business anchor Maria Bartiromo suggested foreign interests might be behind opposition, an allegation echoed by American Energy Institute CEO Jason Isaac who cited "CCP influence." This stands in tension with earlier Fox coverage that acknowledged issues like rising electricity costs, water consumption, and lack of community input regarding data center projects.
Communities across the U.S. have been vocal about the environmental justice implications of data centers, citing demands on land, water, and electricity, increased utility bills, and pollution. Examples include Black communities in Mississippi and Maryland fighting projects in "climate sacrifice zones," Bessemer, Alabama residents opposing a 700-acre forest clearing project, and Baltimore and South Fulton, Georgia residents raising concerns about power demands and land use. Specific incidents, such as Meta's Cheyenne data center contaminating the city's reclaimed-water system, have also been reported.
Amid this growing national opposition, with a Gallup poll indicating 71% of Americans oppose local AI data centers, some right-wing figures have started connecting opposition to figures like Sen. Bernie Sanders and Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, and alleging Chinese influence. This narrative intensified after New York Governor Kathy Hochul signed an executive order imposing the nation's first statewide moratorium on new hyperscale data centers. Fox hosts subsequently framed this moratorium as a "Democratic war on AI" and part of a "fight against China," despite Fox News's own polling showing bipartisan opposition to data centers.