Politics Data Centers

Jacob Weinreich and his mother Sharon Metcalf protest the Project Jupiter data center during a demonstration in Santa Fe, N.M., Friday, Aug. 21, 2026.

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In a divided America, the left and right unite to oppose artificial intelligence data centers

In a divided America, the left and right unite to oppose artificial intelligence data centers

In the small Nebraska village of Murdock, now-paused plans for two potential data centers have sparked the kinds of debates that have raged in cities and towns across the country. And those debates often cut across ideological lines. Some see job opportunities that can help the U.S. compete with China in technology. Others worry about losing farmland and the high amounts of electricity and water needed to power these centers. The debate has united left-leaning environmentalists and conservative farmers. Data centers have become a growing concern as November's midterm elections loom, but are one of the rare major issues that don't divide along party lines.