A few weeks ago, I was having a politics conversation with a tech insider. The issue of datacenters became a focus of the conversation. The first response from him was “this is the issue that might decide 2026 and will certainly decide 2028.”
The tech side of the issue is essentially: As 5G wifi was to mobile connectivity, so too are the datacenters the cornerstone of nationwide AI rollout. Eventually, all of the datacenters will interconnect and become part of a massive information system that houses all knowledge, a great digital brain. From that point, engagement with Artificial Intelligence (AI) systems will become like a public utility.
The datacenters themselves can be a hot button issue as their proximity to people creates friction. Battles against datacenters are taking place in rural and non-rural areas alike. With deep pockets and strong national security arguments involving the “AI race,” the technocrats are currently winning the argument. However, as with all special interest issues, the opportunity for political benefit now determines DC advocacy. WATCH:
What are your thoughts on this issue?
Is opposition to datacenters strong enough to tilt the outcome of the 2026 midterms? And do you believe 2028 will be determined with this issue at the forefront?
So basically we’re all in on Wokeness, LGBTQ, Antifa, child mutilation and all things the perverted Democrats stand for just so we don’t have to hear the hum data centers. They all went to the Massey MTG school of spite
I have news for you. You can pay them now or pay them later.
Funny you bring this up..my son and his wife were visiting today and the subject of data centers came up. They, even with their tech-savvy gadgets, are a hard no on data centers. Hard no on AI also.
I am a hard no on data centers.
Whoever beats that drum the loudest on no to data centers, has a clear advantage in 2026 and 2028.
First water for cooling.
There are three ways to cool the data centers. The cheapest uses a lot of water. It works somewhat like a swamp cooler in the SouthWest areas. The most expensive is air conditioning which doesn’t use much water but consumes more power.
When the desire is to put one in a business park where the goal was a company employing 1,000 people…..the local area loses big time.
Independent dedicated power production should be a mandatory part of the site plan.
If it is a choice between production ie factories or a data center the factory is much better for a locality.
What does Besset say?
A major concern is AI data centers are heavily indebted……….if they can’t pay then it will effect everyone in the USA.
Besides the obvious PRC paid propaganda/astroturf campaign, there are three physical concerns which are real and which get regular people to also adopt the worry:
Water (usage, cleanliness)Energy (usage, impact on grid)NoiseI say if geothermal can do closed loop cooling and gaming computers closed loop cooling so can racks of GPUs. That’s quieter and doesn’t continually impact water tables.
The energy factor is real; so where’s the national push to build nuclear, bills to clear regulations, redirecting of fraudulent outlays to non-fraudulent grid upgrades? None from either party, which suggests they’re fine with everyone having expensive and poor quality water and expensive and poor-quality electricity. I should almost be thankful that Brandon et al are so fond of fraud lest there be thousands upon thousands of charging stations already attached to noisy generators devouring fuel from … somewhere.
Offshore and tidal power? In space and solar power? Maybe. Right in town getting tax breaks — why again? Well cui bono, which is probably answer enough.
As the illustration shows, Texas is one of the major battlegrounds with the largest number under construction or proposed.
If they would just be honest with the community, it would make a big difference, but they’re often opaque or just downright dishonest about the impact and expense to the community.
What they don’t like to talk about is using up groundwater supplies and the resulting higher prices for water and higher electricity rates because of increased demand.
I agree that they should have to build their own power plants whether that’s gas fired or small nuclear facilities. I also agree that as much as there are things to hate about AI we have to win this race.
Treat them just like prisons. Build them out of the way and as unnoticeable as possible. There were and are communities that welcomed prisons for the jobs and opportunities. The same can be true for data centers.
The problem with that idea is they are being built right in the dead center of every business park in Suburban America. They are even using eminent domain in some instances.
The major issue is two fold. Energy consumption, and how we stop them from using them from controlling us.
As of now we can’t win either battle. But in my view if we don’t give PDJT full support for his entire term then we deserve the hell we are bringing upon ourselves.
Battling that stuff now or in 2 years is moot. This is our last chance for a champion to save the republic. Vote against it and IMO, you’re signing your own death warrant.
There is no problem with Mj’s idea. In fact, that sounds like a pretty good outcome.
The problem, as noted, is ‘they are being built right in the dead center of every business park in Suburban America. ‘
I believe the issue crosses the political spectrum.
The major issue surrounding Data Centers with be utility rate increases passed on to the consumer and water issues. Data Centers use a ton of water and can quickly impact water table and cause unnatural migration as a result of scarcity. It will be interesting times.
“Eventually, all of the datacenters will interconnect and become part of a massive information system that houses all knowledge, a great digital
brain.fence…. a cage from which none will escape without the full force of government pursuing the non-compliant relentlessly.”FIFY
But thou, O Daniel, shut up the words and seal the book, even to the time of the end. Many shall run to and fro, and knowledge shall be increased.”
Eventually Data Centers will be constructed on the Dark Side of the Moon 😎
One consideration is can we not innovate more to jump ahead of the need for data centers to operate the best AI in the world?
Consider the sunk cost of phone lines everywhere in USA plus cell towers vs the cost of a nation that only has cell towers. In this example it would have been the less developed nation that adopted technology later that is currently able to operate most efficiently with the lowest sunk cost.
GREENLAND! Using pocket nuke local power generation and Mother Nature’s abundant heat transfer opportunities, the groundwater contamination issues could be isolated far away from agricultural and human needs….! 🙂
I read/try to read some book every day or nearly every day. I read any type from several on Apostle Paul and his travels to John D MacDonald to 6 Days of the Condor (book before the movie I recently found) to Thunder on the Mountain (1965, sermons of T Cecil Myers). I read non fiction. Nothing (or very few) published in the 2000s.
Recently finished a book on Crossnore school in NC mountains (Miracle in the Hills) founded by Dr Mary Martin Sloop.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mary_T._Martin_Sloop
Try and read something every day.
Some places do not have this issue, like Connecticut for example. No new Data Centers planned.
Regional issue, could have an affect in certain parts of the country but not all.
To the faithful followers of Sundance:
I am not sure where I fall in this particular discussion.
But be aware there have been multiple reports of late that much of the anti-datacenter commentary on the internet comes to us courtesy of the Chinese. They view development and control of AI to be a paramount concern for their nation, and seek to ensure we do not win this particular race.
Their disinformation goal is to delay implementation of datacenter construction in the U.S. long enough to allow them to achieve a substantial edge of us on this issue and eventually be the global master of AI.
This is a long way of saying: beware of negative reporting on this matter, as it may stem from those who do not have America’s best interests at heart.
Best to all of you as we head into June.
Propaganda from the AI industry.
The opposition to data centers is very organic.
Why do we need more data centers if there are already 4300 of them?
Can’t they upgrade them for better performance?
Our big power problem is anti-growth green stupidity. Not as bad as Germany, but still bad.
It just makes no sense to make them into water hogs. Unnecessary costs.
But the pro side was caught flat footed by the anti side scaring people with all these fears.
And all these fears are highly doubtful.
Like all this green crap has been jacking up electricity prices and prohibiting growth in capacity. Awful convenient to blame that on datacenters. Letting all the evil politicians off the hook.
And the Antis are clearly poisoning the well. Soon nobody will believe anything from the pro side.
But the anti side has already demonstrated itself to be a foreign funded campaign.
What a pain!
Here are 2 Articles on Power Consumption and Hardware Obsolesce
” Why data centers could hit obsolescence sooner than you think ”
https://www.jll.com/en-us/insights/why-data-centers-could-hit-obsolescence-sooner-than-you-think
” AGING DATA CENTERS
and why enterprises shouldn’t retrofit them ”
https://www.stackinfra.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/Stack_WP_Aging_Datacenters033122.pdf
Datacenters is the same old NIMBY argument that has been going on forever.
God is in control. It is already written. Allow Jesus Christ into your heart.
Data center builders should be required to pay for whatever infrastructure expansion is necessary for their operation. They should not be allowed to socialize the costs and privatize the profits.
Didn’t PDJT state at a rally, or something, that all the new data centers would need to power themselves?
What is the legal situation right now nationally? And/or state by state.
Also, why so many in the hottest climates of the lower 48? Why not put them near the Alaskan oil and gas leases?
Let me tell you about my granddaughter.
She’s 18 years old, and just graduated high school. She’s smart and talented. She wants to be a cosmetologist, doing hair and nails, partly because she knows AI is going to be a factor in lots of jobs, but probably not that one.
She and her friends HATE AI. Hate it. She was angry when teachers asked students to use it for assignments. She thinks it is making people dumber. She is concerned about the data centers and their water and power usage.
AI is a loser with young voters. That much I believe.
It’s the people who control them I don’t trust. Who’s bidding will they do?
Why, “The Highest Bidder” of course.
Their purpose is to track every move, every transaction we make. The Chinese social credit score, it’s coming here.
I wish it were to track all politicians and all public servants for public knowledge, but I doubt it.’they will be tracking us.
We’re getting a data center right near us, we’re not happy
Everybody Stop, Think, and take a deep Breath.
There sure is all of a sudden a lot of well financed opposition with fancy well printed placards and signs, and already rehearsed slogan etc.
Sounds just like a few years ago when the Global Warmist all organized and worked on getting our power plants shut down, and transitioned into Solar/wind.
Turns out when a lot of the money was traced back, all of the global warming research, the protests, the lawfair, each was being funded by who? The Chinese Communist Party.
Why?
To Cripple our industrial base and to sell us all of their Solar and wind equipment.
FJB was instrumental in Shutting Down 100 Gigawatts of generating capacity in the US in his four years, using the RCRA operating permit process. What most people do not realize is the FJB regime only permitted the construction of 25 Gigawatts of Sola/Wind new capacity. This has left a big hole in our power production capacity, just as AI is showing up.
How about that?
Do we all see why our power bills are so high now?
So who do you think wants to win the AI race? They just about did us in on the power front.
Interesting how this already fully staffed and opposition with professionally painted signs and brochures appears to stop data center, just when the battle over global warming has been won, but look at all the damage done to the power infrastructure in the meantime.
Is it not readily apparent what is happing here?
Can we not put 3+1 together, seeing as we have already got a 2+2 example looking us right in the face?
Data centers destroy power and water infrastructure as well as the physical damage to the body from the noise and probably other vibrations and energy fields.
You do the elementary math.
Data centers will likely become obsolete fairly quickly, as always happens with technology. I do not know how AI will operate a few years from now, but it will be different.
JMO.
Is opposition to datacenters strong enough to tilt the outcome of the 2026 midterms?
No.
Just another bad “splitter” idea …… financed by the 2026 splitter cabal………… nothing more ……
The splitter’s didn’t work in 2022, they won’t work in 2026.
MAGA / America First isn’t just our motto, it is our duty!
Mid Terms need to be ‘too big to rig’….
Sigh…We’re so inferior in our technology methods as humans. AI race. To do it we must built large centers to house servers. We still save data in computer towers. Next up is the ability to keep them on. This means plugging them and get large amounts of energy for which we JUST figured that nuclear power would help. But to keep them cool enough for data to flow without interruptions; because we haven’t figured out how to evade heat, we must use lots of water. ALL of this for “AI”. As long as someone doesn’t unplug the cable by mistake “AI” will be great! Gold Jerry! GOLD!
Fractal Sustainable Computing Substack. Can be done on a handheld device a bit larger than your phone and faster!
I love data centers . Just force them to smartly use water and electricity or you don’t build it. It is r rocket science.
What’s next when datacenters become obsolete – akin to the old CPU for a desktop computer back in the day? Now a whole computer fits in a small circuit board built into the base of a monitor with a negligible footprint. A super computer now fits in your pocket. So we are going to build all the tilt-up concrete warehouses and destroy our beautiful farmland that feeds our people?
What happened – did we put too many satellites up in space and now there’s too much space junk filling the air to create their geofence?
Are they even necessary?
Jay Valentine
https://share.google/R8psqSZxYPhUQQt5T
I personally don’t understand the economics. The revenue stream from AI doesn’t currently support these billion dollar investments. Then technology and chips will continue to change. Data centers built today will be outdated in 5 years. This is history repeating itself, ibm did this.
I think sundances point is ….. when they can’t cover the economics, the AI companies will want a bailout…. And the congress uniparty that are getting paid off today will hand it over to them.
AI streamlines employees. Meaning they can do more with ‘less’…
If it eliminates jobs, then big business is for it because the one thing they hate more than anything else….is paying salaries and benefits. If they could get away with not paying us, they would not pay us.
Just my cynical opinions as I have found incorrect info, multiple times…kind of like when they tried to sell us on computerized vote tabulation as it was introduced back around 2000…
Not enough actual information about the water, power use for data centers, the variations of sizes, locations, etc. to make any real decision;
the fact that there is a huge crowd of anti-data center without the reason why other than the emotional outcry of huge demand for water, screams the environmental crowd has their new rallying cry given they’ve lost their climate change money raising game.
Makes a person wonder what would have happened if there was instantaneous social media when automobiles were just beginning to be made by produciton line if the blacksmiths and horse buggy sellers and railroad executives would have caused huge delays in what is our current national highway infrastructure.
The data centers should be forced to build their own on-site electricity, like Trump said they would, so they use AC and Not water for cooling.
And far enough away that they don’t impact residences, communities and farmland.
Fulfillment of Daniel 12:4
“…..many shall run to and fro, and knowledge shall increase.”
God will win when all is said and done. John 5:28-29
“(28) Do not marvel at this, for the hour is coming when all who are in the grave will hear His voice (29) and come out; those who have done good, to the resurrection of life, and those who have done evil to the resurrection of judgment.”
—–
“Those who have done good” means those born again of Spirit and water, as Jesus said. Not those who lived a ‘good life’.
A study using a good concordance will prove that to be true of v. 29.
Cheryl Shadden is my BFF! She has been fighting this for 3 years. She just paid off her property after living there for 30 years and it’s worthless. The community here, as is everywhere, are so against this take over of their homes and communities. But you literally can’t fight city hall. We are one of the smallest counties in Texas. We are a critical watershed for rivers running into the Brazos river. A major tourist area. Voted many time the best historic small town in America! That will be over. Our city council just approved a @2000 acre Amazon data center a mile and a half away from Cheryl’s home. Against the citizens wishes in the county. The only people making money from these massive surveillance projects are the lizard loafer fat cats not a single local pleb.
Also we are in an area that is drought ridden more years than not.
If these are just to run AI related BS, then we don’t need them. I take that back. No amount of data is needed to justify the destruction needed to build these facilities. Ban them all.
Epoch Times wrote about this same topic last week. As one might expect, their conclusion and opinion was a bit less “Blame Trump” than the MSNOW video. In that video, wasn’t Trump talking about the Iran war instead of data centers? If so, it’s no surprise that MSNOW was trying to take him out of context.
Epoch Times said that younger people are much more likely to favor them nearby their homes than older people, which makes sense. And they cited a “Redfin-commissioned” survey that 49% of Republicans and 36% of Democrats support construction of data centers. I think a lot of hub-bub in that MSNOW video would occur if any factory was built near these people. I think the people recorded in the video don’t realize how lucky they are to have these datacenters nearby versus other things like prisons, power plants, water treatment plants or really many types of factories.
I think that water use is the biggest societal challenge. I think in a hot place like Texas is a bit dumb because it raises the cooling needs versus the north. It sounds like the oldest datacenters use a lot of water due to cooling towers ala power plants but for water-constrained locations like Texas or out west they can use air-conditioners or just more fans. Those will increase noise and energy but it’s still probably the best choice where we’re water constrained.
Datacenters aren’t generating the number of jobs that a factory would but it’s still a lot of jobs for a lot of these rural areas. Construction of them is a huge undertaking that supports a lot of manufacturing that Trump is trying to build up while reversing years of off-shoring. Tariffs can’t spur new factories overnight but these keep a lot of tradespeople employed and busy. In these rural areas, the hotels, restaurants, and other retail are likely doing amazing during all the construction. And then there’s the power plants needed…that’s a lot of jobs for some struggling rural areas.
You can either be in favor of progress or not. I suspect the people attacking Trump for supporting them are the same people trying to stop MAGA any way possible.
won’t someone think about Mother Nature? Wind farms kill birds and confuse whales. Nestle wants water to become their domain so that they can sell it instead of getting it out of a tap. If the tech giants agree to move and live next door, then there might be a conversation worth having, but only for the sake of conversation, not because anyone will agree to having them built.
Where is the concern about global warming, given the immense heat these places emit ?
If the argument is between better AI broads with more convincing boobs and and ducks and frogs living in peace in their pond, ducks win. There is more to life than faster ways for the gov’t to control every aspect of every minute of every day.
It will be fun to watch the first Marvin Heemayer take his turn at the wheel towards one of these monstrosities.
Bendover gov cox just declared an emergency drought declaration for utah but supports the construction of a massive data center in box elder county for Mr. Wonderful / O’leary, public comment was not allowed. I agree w JFK Jr. we’ll learn the health hazards data centers will unleash on communities only after they r built. Bendover cox panders to anyone with big $$$$$…
Like cox and senator curtis, rep maloy is another morally bankrupt RINO sellout, they all pander to big ag, big money donors….
As far as water consumption, what about water from our surrounding ocean.
I don’t like the thought of AI, but I sure don’t want another country getting the top AI system first!
This is similar to what played out with nuclear weapons! Who’s going to be the controlling country over AI? This should be a big concern for everyone in this country.
Why do they need such large buildings and so much land? We hold in our hands every day a computer that houses everything to run it within a handheld object!
I have questions but it seems there’s no answers except for “We need this huge amount of land to build a huge data center!”
Democrats are only against data centers because Trump is for them. If it was their man in the White House, they’d be looking for ways to get paid for not opposing data centers in their states.
I don’t want one in my neighborhood because the demands on electricity and water would be suddenly very high and it’s likely they already negotiated cheap, bulk rates so the rest of us would have to pay more. That’s just how these things work.
Would it not be a reason reasonable course of action to ask what communities really want one and then build them there?
One way to bring this issue into greater focus is to blow up one or two of them and then maybe we could have a real conversation about this instead of the divide and conquer strategy (with payouts to local officials) that Big Tech has successfully deployed so far.