Data Center News

Track U.S. data-center development, from AI-driven buildouts and electricity demand to utility planning, permitting, regulation, and state or local disputes. Include stories only when data centers themselves are central—not general AI, energy, or technology coverage.
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  • news

    Data Center Opponents Stage 142 Protests Across 42 States
    Opponents of the rapid buildout of data centers held 142 protests across 42 states on Saturday in the first nationwide effort to channel anger at the AI infrastructure expansion that has ramped up over the past year and roiled local politics. The protests were coordinated by HumansFirst, co-founded by a former leader of the modern-day Tea…
    Reuters
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  • opinion

    Innovation Can Make Data Centers Cleaner—If New York Lets It
    As communities across America debate whether to approve new data centers, some are implementing moratoria based on concerns over water use and noise pollution. Most recently, New York issued an executive order banning data center construction for one year while the state looks to address environmental concerns with more regulation and red tape. Those concerns…
    Sarah Wagoner | Jacob Twyford
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  • analysis

    Virginians Question Power-Hungry Data Centers’ Expansion
    Newton’s third law indicates that every action produces an equal and opposite reaction. In Virginia politics, that is showing up in the push-and-pull over data centers. The state is already peppered with data centers, and developers are rolling out plans to build more. In almost every location, local residents quickly rally to oppose their expansion….
    Rich Tucker
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  • opinion

    AI Companies, Data Centers Must Defend Themselves—Silence Is No Weapon Against the Exploding Backlash
    Artificial intelligence companies and the data centers that power them are devoting mouth-watering sums to achieve their potential. The Wall Street Journal reports that Microsoft, Alphabet (Google’s parent company), Meta, and Amazon are “expected to spend more than $670 billion this year” on capital expenditures. McKinsey & Company forecasts that “global spending on data centers…
    Deroy Murdock
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  • news

    White House to Rally Utilities, Data Centers for AI Power Cost Pledge, Sources Say
    WASHINGTON, July 13 (Reuters)—The White House plans to bring together utility companies and data center developers to make a voluntary pledge designed to ensure that rapid growth in electricity demand from artificial intelligence does not drive-up power bills for households and businesses, according to three people familiar with the plans. An event to announce the…
    Jarrett Renshaw | Laila Kearney
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  • news

    Abbott Calls for Ban on AI Data Centers in Rural Texas Neighborhoods
    Gov. Greg Abbott is calling for new AI data centers to be blocked from development in rural neighborhoods across Texas amid growing backlash over their effects on residential communities and water supplies. During a property tax event in Bullard, a rural community located south of Tyler, Abbott said he would push back against AI data centers…
    Emily Medeiros
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  • news

    Central Ohio Data Center Will Have Its Own Power Plant
    THE CENTER SQUARE—An Ohio state board has approved a natural gas-powered electric generation plant in Licking County to serve a data center, saying taxpayers and ratepayers won’t pay for power at the center. The power will be consumed by Sidecat, LLC, an affiliate of Meta Platforms, Inc., according to a news release by the Ohio…
    David Beasley
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  • analysis

    Are Republicans Souring on Data Centers?
    In recent elections, Republican voters have expressed their dissatisfaction with policies responding to the construction of data centers—the rapidly expanding physical infrastructure that supports the internet. At the same time, Republican governors are increasingly arguing that their party has to start listening to constituents who are upset with how they believe data centers are affecting…
    George Caldwell
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  • news

    Data Center Policy Divides State Democrats
    The fate of Virginia’s two-year state budget, which is scheduled to take effect on July 1, is in the hands of Democrats who control both houses of the Legislature and the governor’s mansion, even as the party remains divided over the tax treatment of data centers. State Sen. L. Louise Lucas vowed that “there is…
    Rich Tucker
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  • news

    Data Center Civil War Leaves Virginia on the Verge of a Shutdown
    Virginia is on the verge of its first shutdown in modern history, and it all comes down to data centers and Democratic Party infighting. Democrats control the governor’s mansion, the state Senate, and the House, yet the party can’t get on the same page. “Virginia has to have a budget by June 30,” Republican Virginia…
    Virginia Grace McKinnon
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  • news

    Agreement on Data Centers Falters as Ohio Lawmakers Go on Recess
    While the Ohio Legislature has made strides this week in key areas before summer recess, it was unable to come to an agreement on the hot-button issue of data centers. Lawmakers have been debating the level of regulation and tax breaks for data centers, while a joint committee is also studying the effects of data…
    Rebecca Downs
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  • news

    Virginia Budget Debate Turns Public Amid Data Center Dispute
    THE CENTER SQUARE—Virginia budget negotiations spilled into public view last week as top Democrat leaders publicly clashed over data center policy ahead of the June 30 budget deadline. Senate Finance and Appropriations Chairwoman Louise Lucas, D-Portsmouth, publicly criticized Democrat Gov. Abigail Spanberger and House of Representatives leaders Friday as negotiations continued without a final agreement….
    Shirleen Guerra
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  • news

    DeWine Announces Tax Exemption Pause on Data Centers
    As lawmakers study the impact of data centers in Ohio, Republican Gov. Mike DeWine on Wednesday announced a pause in consideration of new tax exemptions for data centers. Despite the directive, DeWine’s statement praised data centers, including how they have contributed to Ohio’s success. “Data centers are a critical component to today’s technology-driven economy, which…
    Rebecca Downs
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  • opinion

    Data Centers and the Sale of Dominion Energy
    My inclination when learning about the proposed mega-utility company that would be created when NextEra Energy acquires Dominion Energy—and yes, that is what is proposed—was that this is the predictable growing distance from the consumer of companies that expand and merge and acquire in order to keep up with a federal regulating body that is…
    Joe Thomas
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  • news

    Bipartisan Committee to Study Ohio Data Centers
    With data centers increasingly in the news—and increasingly contentious—a bipartisan committee in Ohio has been created to study the impact of these large facilities, both the benefits they could bring to residents of the Buckeye State as well as concerns. The Ohio Joint Data Center Committee, consisting of six Republicans and two Democrats from the…
    Rebecca Downs
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  • opinion

    ‘Nuclear’ Data Centers Right Outside Virginia’s Capital City?
    Richmond, Virginia’s WTVR news viewers heard the headline this week that “Goochland County residents voice concerns over proposed data center and nuclear reactor development.” While anti-data center protests are growing more common, there’s also a proposed nuclear reactor site residents are going to have to contend with, too? Is lightning striking twice for residents outside…
    Joe Thomas
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  • opinion

    High Stakes for High Tech: Virginia’s Data Center Controversy
    Once again, the issue of building new data centers for tech companies is coming up in Virginia as many local governments are making plans to set up “commissions” to study more regulations on the industry. The naysayers point to the massive energy load required by these centers and the infrastructure needed to deliver that energy…
    Joe Thomas
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  • opinion

    Why the Push Against Data Centers That Bring Billions to the Virginia Economy?
    It was 2001 when I realized the city of Buffalo, where I was living and doing radio at the time, was never going to come back from being a ghost town. That’s because there was this little art house startup tech firm called Microsoft that wanted to build a data center out of the abandoned…
    Joe Thomas
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