After US midterms, a bigger clash over data centers may be coming
Democrats won full control of Congress in the November 3 US midterms, and anger over data centers is emerging as a political force. That could lead to new limits on where they can be built.
Democrats secured full control of the US Congress in the November 3 midterm elections, while Republicans keep the White House. The results suggest that anger over data centers — large facilities housing the computers that power artificial intelligence — is becoming a real political force. With Congress changing hands, new limits may follow on where data centers can be built and how much say local communities get.
What the polling shows
An NBC exit poll found that more than half of respondents believe AI will do more harm than good. Almost 80% oppose data centers being built in their neighborhoods, and almost 60% said data centers were a crucial or major factor in their vote.
Results in the states
In Ohio, where OpenAI has eyed a $500 billion data center backed by more than $100 billion in Nvidia financing, the county where Meta planned a 700,000-square-foot facility has passed a ban on data centers. Local communities across the state voted overwhelmingly against buildout measures. Morgan Stanley analysts say Democratic governor-elect Amy Acton poses a major risk to the buildout. Candidates in Texas, Maine, Michigan, Nevada, Georgia and South Carolina won seats after opposing rapid data center expansion, and Goldman Sachs predicts construction delays in Georgia and Texas.
Possible next steps
Likely moves include more construction moratoriums or requirements that data centers pay for their own grid upgrades. Sen. Bernie Sanders and Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez introduced a bill this year for a nationwide moratorium on new data centers until Congress adds guardrails; it would face a possible veto. Sen. Martin Heinrich has proposed the GRID Savings Act, which would stop grid costs from being passed on to communities.
Nadine Smith, head of the racial justice group Color of Change, expects a fight, noting that even among Democrats a blanket freeze is contested. Maia Woluchem of the nonprofit Data & Society says action could continue at state and local levels, citing Texas governor-elect Gina Hinojosa, who supports a statewide moratorium.
