Is the Left Making a ‘Massive Strategic Blunder’ on Data Centers?

Holly Jean Buck, an associate professor at the University of Buffalo and former official in the Energy Department’s Office of Fossil Energy and Carbon Management, recently authored a piece in Jacobin arguing against a national data center ban. In an interview, Buck elaborated on her view that a moratorium, such as the AI Data Center Moratorium Act proposed by Senator Bernie Sanders and Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, is a "massive strategic blunder for the left." She explained that while she understands the impetus behind such proposals, she believes they are ineffective and may not lead to desired outcomes, particularly regarding long-term coalition building for decarbonization and AI governance. Buck highlighted the complexity of the left-right coalitions opposing data centers, noting that while they may unite to block local projects, their divergent interests on broader issues like a decarbonized grid or AI governance make substantive policy agreement difficult. She questioned whether environmental activists pushing for moratoriums consider the precedent set for potentially blocking renewable energy projects, a concern she has discussed with groups like Public Citizen. Her primary concerns regarding a national moratorium include the potential for development to be pushed to regions with weaker environmental and social regulations, an increase in the cost of computation which could limit access to AI capabilities for less fortunate populations, and the diversion of energy and funding from other critical environmental issues. Buck acknowledged that data centers contribute to carbon emissions but argued that their decarbonization is a more tractable problem than other industrial sectors, and she views the net effect of AI on climate change as too early to determine. She also acknowledged that bad data centers exist, but stressed the importance of discerning between good and bad projects rather than blanket bans.