Ahlers, Rhoden look at taxes, beef, data centers
South Dakota gubernatorial candidates Dan Ahlers and Larry Rhoden discussed their differing views on data centers ahead of the upcoming election. Rhoden supports data center development, highlighting a bill he signed to protect water and electricity resources and address national security concerns regarding foreign data ownership. Ahlers, however, expressed reservations about large hyperscale data centers and suggested a pause for further evaluation.
Ahead of South Dakota's general election, gubernatorial candidates Dan Ahlers (Democrat) and Larry Rhoden (Republican) presented contrasting perspectives on data center development, a topic weighing on voters' minds.
Rhoden, the incumbent, expressed support for data centers, citing his signing of Senate Bill 135. This legislation aims to protect water and electricity resources utilized by data centers and includes provisions to prevent foreign governments, specifically China, from owning land in South Dakota, which Rhoden views as a matter of national security to safeguard data.
Conversely, Ahlers voiced significant concerns about the proliferation of large, hyperscale data centers. He suggested the state should "pause" and "take a second look at what these centers are," indicating a cautious approach to their unchecked development.