President Donald Trump has taken a strong pro-data center stance, condemning Americans who are against the projects despite lawmakers from both sides expressing concerns.
The President shared in a Truth Social post earlier today that the United States must continue data center expansion projects to remain a global superpower in technological innovation.
“The only reason that communities throughout the U.S.A. should not want Data Centers is if they want to end up being backwards and poor,” he wrote. “If they want to be successful and rich, with far lower taxes and jobs all over the place, let Data Reign.”
Although data centers are not a new concept, a recent wave of anti-data center backlash has engulfed states like Texas. Last month, Governor Greg Abbott (R-TX) ordered a pause on new data center connections until an audit of all data centers was complete.
Days after this decision, Trump publicly condemned Gov. Abbott’s move in an interview with Punchbowl News.
“I think it’s a mistake. And I’m not taking positions; I just think it’s a mistake, because there are other communities that want it,” Trump said. “When a community wants it, it means a lot of money is going to come into that community.”
Gov. Abbott now requires data centers to comply with new standards to protect the state's power grid, water resources and ratepayers.
"I established clear guardrails to ensure data centers protect our electric grid, conserve our water, respect our neighborhoods and pay their own way,” Gov. Abbott said. “They must not pass costs on to Texas families or interfere with their quality of life."
Both Democrats and Republicans in Congress have been focused on how to hold data centers accountable for the added costs and burdens it presents to communities.
However, this issue is also top-of-mind for voters as the midterms approach. According to a recent Texas Politics poll, 57% of Texas voters said they are against the construction of local data centers, while 30% said they support it and 14% have no opinion.
