THE data centres powering America’s artificial intelligence boom have become an unlikely target in November’s midterm elections, as anger over rising electricity bills and noise turns Democrats — and a growing number of Republicans — against Big Tech.
Candidates in at least 21 races across 18 states have aired television advertisements mentioning data centres this cycle, according to marketing data cited by US media, almost evenly divided between both parties.
On the grid serving Senate battleground Ohio, as well as 12 other states, demand from data centers drove up capacity costs by $9.3 billion in a single year, a 174 per cent increase, according to an independent market monitor.
Anger over household bills has merged with a broader populist distrust of Silicon Valley, exposing lawmakers who, until recently, were courting the sprawling server farms with tax breaks and promises of jobs and investment. — AFP
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