Progressive Groups Fueling Data Center Opposition Across United States
Left-wing groups and climate activists, backed by progressive funding, are spearheading a coordinated anti-data center movement across the United States. This opposition is influencing midterm elections and leading to calls for new regulations and construction pauses, with experts describing it as a strategic
Experts are raising alarms about a coordinated anti-data center push across the United States, fueled by left-wing groups and climate activists with significant progressive funding. Larry Behrens, communications director at Power The Future, described the efforts as a familiar "playbook" seen in past opposition to energy projects, suggesting these are not purely grassroots movements.
Key organizations driving this opposition include Public Citizen, which lists George Soros’ Open Society Foundations among its supporters, and the Sierra Club, which received substantial funding from Arabella Advisors’ Sixteen Thirty Fund. CodePink, another group targeting data centers, has received funding linked to socialist donor Neville Roy Singham, who has ties to the Chinese Communist Party, raising concerns amidst the US-China battle for AI dominance.
Texas is highlighted as a primary battleground, where groups like Public Citizen, through the Texas Data Center Rebellion, and the Sierra Club’s Austin chapter have organized events to oppose developments. This national opposition is reshaping midterm elections in states such as Texas, Ohio, Nevada, Michigan, and Pennsylvania, with political candidates facing pressure to call for new regulations, tax changes, or construction pauses on data centers. The Texas Democratic Party and affiliated groups have also incorporated data center opposition into their organizing efforts.
Behrens posits that the opposition is rooted in an ideological disdain for fossil fuels and anything perceived to strengthen America, with arguments around water use and land use serving as tactical diversions. Will Hild, Executive Director of Consumers’ Research, warned that climate radicals are "hijacking legitimate consumer concerns" to create a disinformation campaign. A spokesperson for the Sixteen Thirty Fund defended their support for the Sierra Club, emphasizing that community concerns about data center impacts are legitimate and warrant attention from corporate interests.