Senator's sudden focus

A US senator now regularly meets staff to track data centre impacts and draft legislation curbing their rapid expansion.

Public backlash against data centres

Residents across the US oppose data centres due to their size, noise, and impact on water, air, and energy resources.

Data centre growth

US has 3,000 operational data centres, with potential to double in the next few years, according to Pew Research Center.

Local opposition surge

Community groups organizing against data centres more than doubled to 833 in the first few months of this year, appearing in nearly every US state.

Political impact

Politicians across parties face pressure to address data centre backlash, with Republicans shifting from pro-business stance to opposition.

Trump's stance

President Trump calls data centre opposition a 'sick conspiracy' and labels opponents as 'backwards and poor'.

Arizona's shift

Arizona Governor Katie Hobbs paused tax breaks for data centres after public pressure.

Texas example

Texas Republican Governor Greg Abbott reversed his pro-data centre stance after public concerns about safety and quality of life.

Local opposition

Residents in Indiana, Arizona, Michigan, Pennsylvania, and Oregon oppose data centres due to their size, noise, and environmental impact.

Job claims

A new data centre creates 100-200 local jobs, fewer than industry advocates claim, according to Brookings Institution research.

Community resistance

Residents in Texas reject data centre projects despite environmental safeguards, with one woman telling a developer to 'get the hell out of my state'.

“Get the hell out of my state”

Political consequences

Data centre backlash has become a sleeper issue that could decide the US midterms, with politicians shifting positions.