US midterms: Data centre expansions spark backlash across political divide - CNA
Rising electricity costs, environmental concerns and the spread of large data centres are becoming campaign issues in closely contested congressional races in Pennsylvania.
Demonstrators protest against data centres, at the Pennsylvania state Capitol in Harrisburg, US, Oct 6, 2026. (File Photo: AP/Marc Levy)
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James Gooderson & Marcel Pereira 30 Oct 2026 06:14PM Bookmark Bookmark Share WhatsApp Telegram Facebook Twitter Email LinkedIn Set CNA as your preferred source on Google Add CNA as a trusted source to help Google better understand and surface our content in search results. Read a summary of this article on FAST. Get bite-sized news via a newcards interface. Give it a try. Click here to return to FAST Tap here to return to FAST FAST PENNSYLVANIA: Opposition to artificial intelligence data centres is bringing some Republican and Democratic voters together ahead of the United States midterm elections, amid concerns over rising electricity bills and the impact on local communities.
The debate is playing out in the northeastern state of Pennsylvania, where President Donald Trump and Democratic governor Josh Shapiro welcomed an announcement of US$90 billion in energy and AI-related investment in July 2025.Β
More than 90 data centres were planned across the state, but over a quarter of the projects have since been stopped or delayed following local opposition.
Data centres require substantial electricity to power servers and cooling systems, while facilities that use water-based cooling can consume large amounts of water.
Residents have raised concerns about higher electricity bills, water pollution and the impact of data centres on the landscape. They have also questioned tax breaks for developments that create relatively few permanent jobs.
