‘A perfect, wild storm’: widely loathed datacenters see little US political opposition
The Guardian • • nation
Key Points:
- An unusual coalition of rightwing "Stop the Steal" activists, Democratic Socialists of America, and others have united to oppose over a dozen proposed Michigan datacenters, reflecting widespread public disapproval with only 28% support in polls.
- Despite grassroots opposition and a bill introduced to repeal datacenter tax credits, political action remains limited due to powerful alliances among big tech, fossil fuel, utilities, and labor groups, as well as politicians' desire to attract economic development and AI investment.
- The datacenters raise concerns about increased energy costs, water depletion, environmental harm, and limited job creation, yet state and federal lawmakers largely support them, leading to local-level conflicts between communities and tech interests.
- Some federal lawmakers, including Bernie
