Bipartisan Opposition to AI Data Centers Unites Groups Across US
Across the U.S., a rare bipartisan coalition of conservative farmers and environmental groups is opposing the rapid development of AI data centers, citing concerns over farmland loss, water scarcity, and rising electricity costs. In Cass County, Nebraska, a moratorium was enacted on data center development, impacting potential projects by companies like Tenaska and CyrusOne. In New Mexico, a lawsuit challenging water allocation for Oracle's Project Jupiter has resulted in a temporary halt of well drilling authorization.
In rural eastern Nebraska, the rapid rise of data centers to power the artificial intelligence boom has sparked an unusual bipartisan opposition. Conservative farmers and environmental groups, including the Nebraska Sierra Club, have united with labor leaders in Murdock, Nebraska, to voice concerns over dwindling farmland, declining water supplies, and rising electricity bills. This coalition fears that massive corporations could transform small towns into computing hubs.
In response to these concerns, Cass County, Nebraska, officials recently approved a 12-month moratorium on data center development. This action could impact energy company Tenaska's plans to option over 1,300 acres for a potential data center and natural gas power plant. Separately, data center operator CyrusOne holds nearly 400 acres near Plattsmouth in Cass County, though no project has been announced.
The article highlights similar cross-partisan opposition in other states, including New Mexico, Texas, Pennsylvania, and Wyoming. In New Mexico, Oracle's planned $165 billion Project Jupiter data center complex in Doña Ana County faces mounting concerns over water depletion. Despite Oracle's pledges of community funding and water-saving technologies, the Center for Biological Diversity filed an emergency petition with the New Mexico Supreme Court, challenging the state's approval of well drilling for the project. The court granted the request, halting water authorization until the legal dispute is resolved.
While some political figures like former President Donald Trump and certain union leaders support data centers for job creation and technological supremacy, hostility has surged. Governors like Kathy Hochul (NY), Josh Shapiro (PA), and Greg Abbott (TX) have implemented or proposed restrictions on data center development, reflecting a national political shift ahead of upcoming elections. Officials across the political spectrum, from Wyoming Secretary of State Chuck Gray to Scranton Mayor Paige Cognetti, are taking stances against unchecked data center expansion.