The image of data centers is taking a serious hit across the United States
When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. Here’s how it works.
The National Republican Senatorial Committee (NRSC) has privately warned the US's leading AI firms that data centers are becoming a political liability.
According to Axios, the memo says perceptions of these facilities could determine the outcome of a critical Ohio Senate race.
The NRSC memo, titled "Ohio Data Center Risk," argues that AI companies must explain who benefits from these projects and who actually pays for them.
A recent Fox News poll shows Republican Sen. Jon Husted — a longtime supporter of data centers — trailing Democratic challenger Sherrod Brown by eight points.
Republican officials fear that a loss in Ohio would send a signal to lawmakers nationwide that data centers are politically toxic.
"If he loses and data centers get the blame, politicians across the country will take notice — and they will not go near the next one," the memo says.
Brown's campaign has spent millions of dollars this summer on advertising that frames Husted as the face of data center expansion in Ohio, and Republicans describe him as an anchor around the senator's chances.
Sign up to the TechRadar Pro newsletter to get all the top news, opinion, features and guidance your business needs to succeed!
The committee's language suggests real alarm inside the party, since it warns that unresolved backlash will spread well beyond a single state contest.
There are now more than 4,000 data centers operating across the United States, with roughly 3,000 additional facilities either proposed or already under construction.
Communities near these sites have objected to their enormous electricity demands and their strain on local water supplies.
Despite these demands and strains, data centers create a relatively small number of permanent jobs once construction ends.
Andrew Stokols, a researcher at Singapore Management University, said that data centers do not necessarily generate a meaningful ripple effect for local employment but can be used “as an engine for broader digital development”
