After the Midterms, Senior Democrats Call for an Immediate National Moratorium on Data Center Construction
After the U.S. midterm elections, Democrats including Sanders publicly called for an immediate national moratorium on data center construction, and some newly elected lawmakers advocate making a pause on AI development the top priority of the new House of Representatives. Voter surveys show that 56% of voters regarded AI and data centers as a key or important factor in their vote, with 65% of them voting for Democratic congressional candidates; after the election results were announced, Nvidia fell 8% and AMD dropped more than 14%. Texas accounts for 27% of the total planned data center capacity in the United States, and Governor-elect Hinojosa previously said that after taking office he would issue a moratorium prohibiting approval of all data center projects until the state legislature passes relevant legislation.
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After the midterms, senior Democrats collectively voiced support for a moratorium on data center construction, and provided specific figures including Texas's share of planned capacity and the decline in chip stocks.
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After the midterm elections, senior Democrats call for restricting the expansion of the artificial intelligence industry: "Immediately pause the construction of national data centers"
After the US Democratic Party achieved a major victory in the midterm elections held on Tuesday, some Democrats have already signaled that they hope to take action against the expansion of the artificial intelligence industry, especially targeting data center construction.
Vermont independent Senator Bernie Sanders posted on social media, saying that voters across the United States approved restrictive measures targeting data centers through local referendums on Tuesday. Sanders caucuses with the Democratic Party, and he said these results send a very clear message to political leaders.
"Immediately pause the construction of national data centers," he wrote in the post. "The American people do not want the oligarchy of big tech companies to destroy the environment, erode jobs, and threaten the future of humanity."
Arizona Democratic Representative Yassamin Ansari also posted on social media, saying that the Democratic majority in the new House of Representatives should make pausing artificial intelligence development a top priority from its first day in office. Texas Democratic Representative Greg Casar, chair of the Congressional Progressive Caucus, reposted the post and said: "Exactly!"
According to voter surveys, 56% of voters said artificial intelligence and data centers were a key or important factor in their voting decision. Among these voters, 65% said they voted for Democratic congressional candidates.
On Wednesday, stocks related to the expansion of the artificial intelligence industry fell slightly after the election results came out, but selling intensified further on Thursday, as investors worried that the Democratic victory could substantially affect data center construction. Chip stocks led the decline. Nvidia fell 8%, and AMD fell more than 14%.
Democrats who won key elections on Tuesday also directed their criticism at big tech companies and data centers.
South Carolina Democrat Annie Andrews won a state Senate seat on Tuesday. During the campaign, she set up a website calling her opponent, Senator Darline Graham, "Data Center Darline."
In her victory speech on Tuesday, Andrews said voters chose a South Carolina where "community affairs should be decided by the people who live in the local communities, not by billionaires in Washington, D.C., or data center companies."
Ohio Democrat Sherrod Brown defeated Republican incumbent Senator Jon Husted on Tuesday and is about to return to the Senate. In his victory speech, he said: "I don't work for data centers."
Democratic governors also criticized data center construction in their victory speeches. Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro signed an executive order in August aimed at slowing data center development. He said big tech companies should not decide the future of local residents. "Instead, the final say should rest with the people in our local communities."
For data center construction, Texas may be the most important state. According to Wells Fargo data, the state accounts for 27% of the total planned data center capacity in the United States.
Democrat Gina Hinojosa defeated Republican incumbent Governor Greg Abbott, but she did not directly address the data center issue in her victory speech, although the issue played an important role in her campaign.
In a video posted on social media in late October, she said: "When I become governor, I will issue a moratorium prohibiting the approval of all data center projects until the state legislature passes laws to protect Texas residents."
She also said: "This is really about a struggle: is Texas a state of the people, by the people, or a world belonging to billionaires in which we merely live? Data centers are part of this struggle." news_keyword_pub,usstock,WFC&AMD iframe below the main text iframe below the main text General statement General statement QR code at the end start QR code at the end start
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