‘Water is for people!’: Voters across party lines push back against data centers ahead of the midterms
Residents and voters across the political spectrum are increasingly opposing data center development because of concerns about water use, electricity demand, pollution, noise and limited local benefits. The backlash is influencing elections and has led states to consider or adopt pauses and bans on new data center construction.
Opposition to data centers is intensifying across the United States, with protests and confrontations reported in Santa Teresa, New Mexico; Harrisburg, Pennsylvania; Memphis; Virginia; and other locations. Residents cite heavy water and electricity consumption, air pollution from backup generators, noise, inadequate consultation and uncertainty about long-term employment benefits. In Memphis, a county meeting on a possible construction slowdown ended in a fistfight between supporters and opponents.
The issue has entered the midterm elections, where candidates from both parties are criticizing data center expansion. More than $53 million has been spent on campaign advertising mentioning the facilities, while 20 states have approved measures to pause or ban construction and seven others have pending proposals. President Donald Trump continues to support the buildout as an economic and national-security priority, but polling shows broad opposition, including among Democrats, Republicans and many of Trump's supporters.