How backlash against data centres could shape the US midterm elections

Key points

• Public backlash against data centres is growing across the US ahead of midterm elections.
• Politicians in both parties are shifting positions as community opposition more than doubles to 833 groups.
• Trump calls the backlash a 'sick conspiracy' while Democrats seek to gain votes from the issue.

A growing public backlash against data centres is reshaping US politics ahead of the midterm elections. Politicians across the country are scrambling to respond to voter anger over the rapid expansion of these facilities, which store processing power for internet activity and artificial intelligence.

The issue has become so potent that a longtime US senator, who a year ago was not focused on data centres, is now holding regular meetings and working on legislation to curb their growth. His senior policy adviser, speaking anonymously, said the shift was driven almost entirely by public sentiment.

Local opposition and concerns

Residents in states including Indiana, Arizona, Michigan, Pennsylvania and Oregon have organised against data centres. They cite concerns about size, construction and operational noise, impacts on air, water and energy, and the speed of local approvals. Angelita Soriano, an Indiana resident, told the BBC: 'I don't want to be the guinea pig for this.'

Community groups opposing data centres more than doubled to 833 in the first months of this year, according to Data Center Watch. Stephanie Maldonado of the Arizona group LUCHA called the pushback 'a David and Goliath story' and said people are now angry.

There's just such a high level of tension from the jump that you can't really even break through with the facts

— Balaji Tammabattula, chief executive of Barupon

Political fallout and reactions

President Donald Trump has dismissed the backlash as a 'sick conspiracy' and described towns trying to keep data centres out as 'backwards and poor'. His stance has been used by Democratic politicians to draw midterm votes. In Arizona, Governor Katie Hobbs enacted a three-year pause on new tax breaks for data centre projects in July.

In Michigan, Democrat Abdul El Sayed made data centre rules part of his successful Senate primary campaign. In Georgia, a Democrat calling for a pause is in a dead heat with a Republican who disagrees. Ohio Republican Senator John Husted has softened his support, while Democrat Sherrod Brown leads him in recent polls after campaigning against new data centres.

The National Republican Senatorial Committee wrote in a private memo that Republicans needed to reframe how they speak to voters on data centres, calling it 'a sleeper issue for the entire election cycle'. In Texas, Governor Greg Abbott backtracked from boasting about AI development, citing concerns of 'safety and quality of life'.