US mayors push back against data center boom as AI backlash grows

Data centers were once seen as a gift for communities across the US, providing jobs and tax revenue. However, more and more mayors are now treating them as a problem. With the midterm elections approaching, the promise of economic development from big tech has given way to concerns about polluting gas turbines, strained power grids, and the sense that the AI revolution is being built on the backs of regular citizens. Mayor Kate Gallego of Phoenix says the local population is growing tired of seeing data centers multiply in their communities, straining resources like water and the power grid. Elon Musk's xAI has been particularly aggressive, running gas turbines without permits and facing local resistance in Memphis and Mississippi. President Donald Trump has stepped in, assembling tech companies to demand they bear the high costs of powering the new data centers. Mayors like Tim Kelly of Chattanooga say the issue is getting 'interesting' as they balance the benefits and drawbacks of the data center boom.