Milldam’s Adam Waitkunas recently spoke with the Financial Times’ Sustainable Views about how growing opposition to data center development is becoming a significant political issue ahead of the November midterm elections.
In the article, “AI Boom Turns Energy Infrastructure Into US Election Issue,” Waitkunas discusses the bipartisan nature of community pushback, the growing political and financial risks facing developers, and why concerns about trust and transparency are increasingly overshadowing traditional issues such as electricity costs, water use and property values.
“The local pushback is bipartisan,” Waitkunas noted, emphasizing that while the industry is beginning to respond to growing resistance, many developers still aren’t engaging communities early enough.
As data centers become an increasingly prominent election issue, Waitkunas warns that additional local moratoriums and restrictions could threaten proposed developments and complicate long-term infrastructure planning.
Read the full article here
