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Lawmaker: Communities "rising up" against data centers over rates, water and noise
Summary
A lawmaker told the chamber that communities nationwide are opposing data centers because of higher electric rates, water use, noise and heat, and urged lawmakers to hear those local concerns before policy moves forward.
A lawmaker told the presiding officer that communities across the country are pushing back against data-center projects, arguing local residents are already feeling the costs and impacts.
"All over this country, people are rising up against data centers in their own communities," the lawmaker said. The speaker added that residents "don't wanna pay higher electric rates" and were "worried about the impact of water," citing additional concerns about noise and heat.
The lawmaker framed the opposition as bipartisan, saying people "whether they are Republicans, Democrats, conservative, progressive" are saying no to data centers. The remarks placed local utility costs and environmental impacts at the center of the argument against unchecked siting of large server facilities.
The speaker urged lawmakers to consider those community impacts when shaping policy, noting the need to weigh electricity demand, water use and neighborhood livability against economic arguments for hosting data infrastructure.
