Yves here. I hope Nat will weigh in on the prospect of the Democrats throwing their weight being real restrictions on data center projects. But from my remove, this idea seems highly unlikely to get off the ground even with a Democrat landslide in November. The Democrats have become a California, meaning Silicon Valley, dominated party. The only way they would back an idea like this would be if they were convinced that date center opposition had become so widespread and effect that a moratorium would have impact only at the margin.Or else they could go the usual route of a headline-grabbing bill that could be easily circumvented. Or if they dared to back a bill with a few teeth, they would rely on a Trump veto and a lack of votes to surmount that.
The colloquial formulation is that the Democrats would get in front of a mob and try to pretend that it is a parade.
By Mitch Jones, the managing director of policy and litigation at Food & Water Watch. Originally published at Common Dreams
It’s becoming clear that one of the most potent political issues of this election cycle is the debate over artificial intelligence and the massive data centers powering this rapidly evolving technology. Polling consistently shows that Americans overwhelmingly oppose the rapid buildout of polluting and disruptive AI data centers and are increasingly concerned about AI safety. Despite this, President Donald Trump and national Republicans have embraced Big Tech’s AI agenda, giving Democrats a popular advantage served up on a silver platter. Democrats should seize the opportunity by supporting a moratorium on AI data centers and a ban on AI “superintelligence” across the board.
For the last several years, with little public discussion or debate, AI data centers have invaded communities across the country with devastating consequences. Electricity prices are spiking, water resources are dwindling, the air is being polluted, and lives are being disrupted. In the past year, the backlash has greatly intensified. Since our partner organization Food & Water Watch became the first national group in the country to call for a full national moratorium on data centers, more than 500 organizations have joined the call. Responding to the popular demand, Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) and Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY) recently introduced moratorium legislation.
Public polling shows overwhelming opposition to data centers. According to a September 29 poll from Quinnipiac, 85% of Democrats, 76% of Independents, and even 55% of Republicans oppose new data centers in their communities, and 79% of all voters think safety is more important than innovation when it comes to AI. These staggering numbers reflect a level of consensus almost unheard of in America these days.
Yet Republican leadership shockingly continues to publicly embrace Big Tech and its AI data center push—most recently with Trump’s White House gathering of CEOs that produced nothing more than “promises” of voluntary self-regulation from the profit-blinded industry. Still, the response from national Democrats has been mixed at best. While Sanders, Ocasio-Cortez, Reps. Frank Pallone (D-NJ), Maxine Waters (D-Calif.), and others have called for an AI data center moratorium, most have continued to dither. House Democrats, for example, overwhelmingly supported the so-called Ratepayer Protection Act—more like the Ratepayer Deception Act—which included nothing more than nonbinding suggestions for local and state governments to consider. Meanwhile, Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY) has yet to organize a caucus position as he continues taking meetings with AI executives.
Similarly, at the state level, several ambitious governors continue to embrace the AI industry, and resist calls for a moratorium. In Pennsylvania, longtime industry supporter Josh Shapiro recently announced a regulatory package that continues to allow data center expansion in the state. In California, Gavin Newsom recently signed regulatory bills that also allow for continued industry buildout—and mostly won’t even kick in until 2028.
Fortunately, there are signs of hope. Sen. Chuck Schumer (D-NY) this week blasted the Ratepayer Protection Act as a “fraud” and successfully rallied Democrats to kill it. An increasing number of congressional candidates are now calling for a national AI data center moratorium. In New York, following the passage of legislation earlier this year, Gov. Kathy Hochul announced a one-year moratorium on data centers. Oregon Gov. Tina Kotek recently halted state permits for data centers while calling for a longer-term moratorium. Democratic gubernatorial candidates in Kansas and Michigan have pledged to institute moratoria, and in Texas, Gina Hinojosa has made data centers such an electric issue that it forced industry ally Gov. Greg Abbot to temporarily pause new permits.
Big Tech is spending hundreds of millions of dollars to elect sympathetic members to Congress who will continue to do its bidding, but elections across the country have already shown people are seeing through the propaganda. Throughout the primary season, voters chose to elect anti-data center candidates despite industry spending. Some communities even voted out local officials who allowed data centers in their communities.
Democrats have a golden opportunity to capitalize on this issue, win big in November, and take real action on AI data centers to protect people and the environment. They must stand up to Big Tech, strongly support data center moratoria and a ban on artificial superintelligence, and then work to implement these policies as a top priority in the new year.