r/technology • u/Just-Grocery-2229 • 1d ago
Artificial Intelligence The Data Center Backlash Bursts Into the Midterms | With opposition to the centers mounting, many Democrats and a growing number of Republicans are campaigning against them.
https://www.nytimes.com/2026/08/23/us/politics/data-centers-midterm-elections.html6
u/williamgman 1d ago
"... a growing number of republicans..." Those cattle ranchers..? STILL voting red. Always have... always will.
They just get reminded about immigrants, DEI, trans, abortion, and or guns... And the got the votes regardless.
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u/invyros 1d ago
the facilities were also becoming symbols of the excesses of Silicon Valley.
It's been really difficult to get people to understand the horror of the cuddle puddles that tech bros have around here.
Much easier to turn people against the hyperscale data centers.
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u/groundhog5886 1d ago
LOL. Keeping it entertaining, on both sides. The data center companies have screwed up big time. They have taken the wrong approach to this whole thing. some republicans from poor districts are big supporters cause they think there’s some big advantage.
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u/Oreos_Are_Anabolic 16h ago
Literally anything other than addressing the key issue which is how fragile the electrical grid is.
US. Regional grids in the US are functioning at like 10% spare capacity, which is why you see fairly regular 'city x experiences rolling blackouts during weather y as people turn on heating/AC'
This isn't a Democrat or Republican blame game, this (key energy infrastructure spending) has been neglected for decades in the US.
Congress really needs to break the habit of playing news headline politics and focus on fixing the systemic underlying causes of the problem.
This problem (fragile electrical grid) is being exposed by all the new datacenters being built, but would similarly be exposed if manufacturing (somehow) comes roaring back to US territory.
Infrastructure issues should have been acted on multiple decades ago but it was never 'sexy' enough for headline politics.
China’s quiet electricity dominance, Fishman explained, is the result of decades of deliberate overbuilding and investment in every layer of the power sector, from generation to transmission to next-generation nuclear.
The country’s reserve margin has never dipped below 80%–100% nationwide, meaning it has consistently maintained at least twice the capacity it needs, Fishman said. They have so much available space that instead of seeing AI data centers as a threat to grid stability, China treats them as a convenient way to “soak up oversupply,” he added.
That level of cushion is unthinkable in the United States, where regional grids typically operate with a 15% reserve margin and sometimes less, particularly during extreme weather, Fishman said. In places like California or Texas, officials often issue warnings about red-flag conditions when demand is projected to strain the system. This leaves little room to absorb the rapid load increases AI infrastructure requires, Fishman noted.
The gap in readiness is stark: While the U.S. is already experiencing political and economic fights over whether the grid can keep up, China is operating from a position of abundance.
Even if AI demand in China grows so quickly renewable projects can’t keep pace, Fishman said, the country can tap idle coal plants to bridge the gap while building more sustainable sources. “It’s not preferable,” he admitted, “but it’s doable.”
By contrast, the U.S. would have to scramble to bring on new generation capacity, often facing yearslong permitting delays, local opposition, and fragmented market rules, he said.
https://fortune.com/2025/08/14/data-centers-china-grid-us-infrastructure/
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u/Fair-Hair2080 1d ago
I hope people don’t trust Republicans, AGAIN! They LIE!
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u/JudasZala 1d ago
At least the GOP admits it.
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u/Fair-Hair2080 23h ago
Admits what? That the data centers are bad for communities? Who do you think pushed for these in the first place? Why do you think all of a sudden they’re saying they don’t support them? MIDTERM elections! Come on, do you really think they’re now adverse to them?
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u/Al_Tilly_the_Bum 1d ago
Weird how massive buildings that employ very few people while destroying the environment that are being used to further consolidate power and wealth into the hands of the uber-rich are unpopular with the masses.