Data centers were supposed to be a gift. In cities across the United States, more and more mayors are treating them like a problem.
With the midterm election season approaching, big tech's promise of a windfall of jobs and tax revenue has given way to talk of polluting gas turbines, strained power grids and a growing sense that the AI revolution is being built on the backs of regular citizens.
kAm%96 :DDF6 92D 8C@H? =2C86 6?@F89 E@ C6249 E96 (9:E6 w@FD6[ H96C6 !C6D:56?E s@?2=5 %CF>A E9:D >@?E9 2DD6>3=65 3:8 E649 4@>A2?:6D E@ 56>2?5 E92E E96J 362C E96 6I@C3:E2?E 4@DE @7 A@H6C:?8 E96 ?6H 52E2 46?E6CD 3C62<:?8 8C@F?5 :? 4@>>F?:E:6D 24C@DD E96 ?2E:@?]k^Am
kAmQ|@DE E2=< 92D 366?[ V96J[ E9:D :D E96 7FEFC6[ E9:D :D 64@?@>:4 56G6=@A>6?E[ H6 ?665 E@ 8@ 2D 72C 2?5 2D 72DE 2D H6 42?[VQ %:> z6==J[ E96 >2J@C @7 r92EE2?@@82[ %6??6DD66[ E@=5 pu! @? E96 D:56=:?6D @7 E96 $@FE9 3J $@FE9H6DE W$)$(X 4@?76C6?46 :? pFDE:?[ %6I2D]Â k^Am
kAmQx H@F=5?VE D2J x ?646DD2C:=J 5:D28C66 H:E9 E92E[ 3FE x E9:?< ?@H :EVD DE2CE:?8 E@ 86E :?E6C6DE:?8[Q 96 25565]k^Am
kAmpE E96 E@A @7 >2?J A6@A=6VD >:?5D :D t=@? |FD<VD Ipx[ H9:49 92D 8@?6 E96 72CE96DE 2?5 2E 5:KKJ:?8 DA665 :? 3F:=5:?8 px :?7C2DECF4EFC6 :? |6>A9:D 2?5 ?6:893@FC:?8 |:DD:DD:AA:]Â k^Am
kAm%@ >66E :ED >2DD:G6 6?6C8J 56>2?5D[ Ipx 92D 366? CF??:?8 2E =62DE `g >6E92?6 82D EFC3:?6D 2E :ED $@FE9 |6>A9:D D:E6 \\ D@>6E:>6D H:E9@FE A6C>:ED \\ 244FD65 @7 AF>A:?8 @FE A@==FE2?ED :? AC65@>:?2?E=J q=24< ?6:893@FC9@@5D 2=C625J 3FC56?65 3J :?5FDEC:2= A@==FE:@?]Â k^Am
kAm%9:D H66<[ |:DD:DD:AA:VD 6?G:C@?>6?E2= C68F=2E@C 82G6 :ED 8C66? =:89E E@ E96 82D 86?6C2E@CD 2E 2 D:E6 56DA:E6 7:6C46 =@42= C6D:DE2?46]k^Am
kAm|:4C@D@7E[ v@@8=6[ |6E2 2?5 p>2K@? 2C6 2=D@ D4@FC:?8 E96 4@F?ECJ E@ 3F:=5 @FE E96 DAC2H=:?8 H:?5@H=6DD 4@?4C6E6 DECF4EFC6D[ 5C:G6? 3J E96 :?D2E:23=6 4@>AFE:?8 56>2?5D @7 px]k^Am
kAm!9@6?:I 92D 364@>6 2 AC:K65 56DE:?2E:@?[ E92?<D E@ 86?6C@FD E2I :?46?E:G6D[ =@H C68F=2E:@? 2?5 E96 4@?DECF4E:@? @7 ?6H D6>:4@?5F4E@C A=2?ED]Â k^Am
kAmqFE |2J@C z2E6 v2==68@ D2JD E96 =@42= A@AF=2E:@? :D 8C@H:?8 E:C65 @7 D66:?8 52E2 46?E6CD >F=E:A=J :? E96:C 4@>>F?:E:6D[ DEC2:?:?8 H2E6C DFAA=:6D 2?5 2 A@H6C 8C:5 E92E 2C6 2=C625J 2E 3C62<:?8 A@:?E]k^Am
kAmQ(96? J@F DF556?=J 92G6 EC2?D>:DD:@? 6BF:A>6?E :? J@FC 7C@?E J2C5[ E92E[ 7@C >2?J A6@A=6[ 5@6D ?@E >2<6 :E >@C6 56D:C23=6[Q D96 E@=5 2 $)$( 2F5:6?46]k^Am
kAmw6C 7CFDEC2E:@? H:E9 E96 :?5FDECJ 8@6D 36J@?5 A@H6C =:?6D] pC:K@?2VD =2C86DE FE:=:EJ[ p!$[ D2JD :E 42??@E 244@>>@52E6 2== E96 56>2?5 \\ :7 6G6CJ 52E2 46?E6C D66<:?8 E@ =@42E6 :? :ED D6CG:46 2C62 H6C6 2AAC@G65[ 6=64EC:4:EJ 56>2?5 H@F=5 C6249 `h[___ >682H2EED[ >@C6 E92? 5@F3=6 E96 8C:5VD C64@C5 A62<]k^Am
kAmQ(6 2C6 :? 4@?DE2?E 32EE=6 H:E9 @FC FE:=:EJ AC@G:56C[Q D2:5 {2CCJ z=6:?[ E96 >2J@C @7 $F??JG2=6[ :? E96 962CE @7 r2=:7@C?:2VD $:=:4@? '2==6J]k^Am
k9am\ (6 2C6 ?@E 96C6 \k^9am
kAmv2==68@ D2:5 D96 @7E6? 5:D4@G6CD 2 E649 4@>A2?J 92D 2CC:G65 :? E@H? @?=J 3J 4964<:?8 E96 FE:=:EJVD =2E6DE =:DE @7 3:886DE 4FDE@>6CD \\ E96 C6DF=E @7 ?@?\5:D4=@DFC6 28C66>6?ED E92E =62G6 4:E:K6?D :? E96 52C< F?E:= :E :D E@@ =2E6]k^Am
kAmQ%96C6VD 2 C62= DA64ECF> @7 4@>A2?:6D \\ D@>6 2C6 AC@F5 E@ 36 J@FC A2CE?6CD[ 2?5 @E96CD H@F=5 ;FDE AC676C J@F ?@E 6G6? 24<?@H=6586 E92E E96JVC6 E96C6[Q D96 D2:5[ A@:?E:?8 E@ |:4C@D@7E 2?5 v@@8=6 2D >@C6 EC2?DA2C6?E @A6C2E@CD]k^Am
kAm|2J@CD H2C? E92E E96 52E2 46?E6C :DDF6 :D 364@>:?8 2 DJ>3@= @7 p>6C:42?DV 8C@H:?8 5@F3ED 23@FE px >@C6 3C@25=J]Â k^Am
kAmp? }qr }6HD A@== C6=62D65 E9:D >@?E9 7@F?5 df A6C46?E @7 C68:DE6C65 G@E6CD D2J:?8 E96 C:D<D @7 px @FEH6:8965 :ED 36?67:ED[ 4@>A2C65 H:E9 ;FDE bc A6C46?E H9@ D2:5 E96 @AA@D:E6]k^Am
kAmQxV> ?@E 2 {F55:E6[Q z6==J D2:5] QqFE x 5@ E9:?< E96D6 2C6 E96 C:89E 4@?G6CD2E:@?D E@ 7:8FC6 @FE 9@H H6 >2?286 E9:D]Qk^Am
kAm2CA^;Dk^Am
