Is T&T being targeted for data centre dumping?
This article, an opinion piece from Trinidad and Tobago, discusses how developing countries are being targeted for data center development due to increasing opposition and regulations in the US. It uses the example of Spartanburg County, South Carolina, where a data center project faced massive protests, leading to a one-year moratorium due to environmental and utility concerns. The piece also cites New York passing legislation to ban data center construction for a year, highlighting a trend of US communities rejecting data centers due to their high demand for electricity and water, and their environmental impact.
An opinion piece published in the Trinidad Guardian argues that Trinidad and Tobago, like other developing countries, is being targeted for "data centre dumping" by US companies facing increasing opposition and stringent environmental regulations at home. The author, Taimoon Stewart, an adjunct lecturer in competition law, draws a historical parallel to the 1960s when US and European firms relocated polluting industries to developing nations to avoid costly environmental compliance.
The article highlights that US communities are widely protesting data center developments, with municipal governments enacting legislation to restrict access to water and electricity. A recent example cited is Spartanburg County, South Carolina, where a project by Valaha Holding, initially presented as a "high-performance computing" facility, drew massive public outcry. Residents protested against air pollution from 80-foot chimneys emitting carbon dioxide and carcinogenic fumes, and the extensive demand for water and electricity. This public pressure led to a one-year moratorium on the project.
Furthermore, the piece mentions that at least 75 data center projects worth over $130 billion were blocked or delayed in the US in the first three months of 2026, with active opposition groups nearly doubling. It also notes that New York has passed legislation implementing a one-year ban on data center construction. The author contends that US companies are now looking to developing countries, luring governments with promises of revenue and employment, as they run out of options in the US due to public resistance against the environmental impact and utility demands of data centers.