Are data centers’ days numbered? What’s driving some opponents

Sen. Bernie Sanders and Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez have introduced a bill aiming for a national moratorium on data center construction. The proposed pause is intended to allow for further assessment of potential environmental and national security threats associated with data centers. This bill faces political challenges, particularly given the Trump administration's support for artificial intelligence. Concurrently, the Central Savannah River Area (CSRA) in Georgia is addressing local data center developments. Two data centers have been approved in Columbia County, one in Richmond County, and another in McDuffie County, despite local resident concerns. Only one proposed data center in Columbia County has been rejected so far. In a separate but related instance of local opposition, a Kentucky woman, Delsia Bare, and her 82-year-old mother, Ida Huddleston, declined a $26 million offer from an anonymous buyer for their farmland in Mason County. The family stated they do not wish their land to be used for a data center, expressing distrust in promises made by AI companies and a preference for their current lifestyle over financial gain.