politics
The Growing Political Power of Anti-Data Center Activists
Anti-data center activists have been notching big victories across the country. Just this month, data center bans were passed in Holyoke, Mass., Monterey Park, Calif., and Seattle, Wash. And the prospect of upcoming elections may be helping fuel those victories.
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TL;DR
- Data center bans have been passed in Holyoke, Mass., Monterey Park, Calif., and Seattle, Wash.
- A Gallup poll indicates 71% of Americans oppose data centers in their area.
- Residents of Festus, Missouri, removed half their city council over a data center approval.
- Arizona enacted a three-year moratorium on data center tax breaks.
- Anti-data center activists cite community pressure, lobbying, and organized labor as key to their victories.
- The AI industry's lobbying efforts are facing challenges due to broad public opposition to data centers.
- Former Senator Kyrsten Sinema criticizes the Arizona moratorium, stating it harms economic growth and jobs.
- Activists in El Paso, Texas, attempted to revoke tax breaks for a Meta data center, though the measure failed.
- The energy from anti-data center disputes is anticipated to influence upcoming elections.