Moratorium won't solve AI issue

The sentiment surrounding data centers is increasingly skeptical among US legislatures and politicians. Washington Governor Bob Ferguson recently signed Senate Bill 6231 into law, which provides a tax exemption for data centers on replacing equipment. The author of the article, Donald Kimbal of the Washington Policy Center, suggests this change will diminish Washington state's economic appeal to data center developers, potentially leading to outdated equipment and a shift in development to other regions. On a national scale, U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders has advocated for a complete moratorium on data center development, primarily driven by concerns over artificial intelligence displacing workers. However, Kimbal argues against such a moratorium, asserting that it would not halt AI development globally and would instead grant China a strategic advantage in global AI technology deployment. He also states that the growing energy demands, regardless of AI, necessitate long-term solutions for expanding energy capacity, making a moratorium an ineffective approach.