More from All the latest updates on AI data centers
The conservative backlash is about jobs, the environment, quality of life — and China.
Sources tell The New York Times that the deal could be valued at $10 billion over two years, with Anthropic paying Meta in monthly increments. Though Anthropic plans to invest $50 billion in building out its own data centers, it has already struck multibillion-dollar deals to access computing power from SpaceX and TeraWulf.
AI data center projects are continuing to pop up across the US, with frequent opposition from locals concerned about their impact. Here are a few recent articles about the projects:
- Atlanta Community Press Collective: Marietta City Council tables approval of new data center
- KATU 2: Massive $5.1B data center proposed for Salem draws praise and pushback
- The Texas Tribune: A data center proposed at a quiet corner of East Texas leaves a community bracing for a boom
- WWSB: Sarasota County blocks hyperscale data centers for at least one year
The largest US electrical grid operator, PJM, will add $6.3 billion in electricity costs for consumers across 13 states due to the booming energy demands of data centers. The rate hikes will hit millions of households and businesses over the next two years, adding to the $29 billion in costs that data centers have added to PJM regions since 2024.
Community pushback from across the US and beyond is making some companies reconsider their data center buildout plans.
AI data center projects are continuing to pop up across the US, with frequent opposition from locals concerned about their impact. Here are a few recent articles about the projects:
- E&E News: The data center boom — and its tax promises — run into rural resistance in North Carolina
- Fox 5 Atlanta: Douglas County data center sparks resident pushback
- Missouri Independent: Data center backlash spills into Missouri primaries as GOP candidates demand action
- The San Francisco Chronicle: Calistoga won’t pursue data center at fairgrounds after resident backlash
TeraWulf, the crypto mining company turned AI infrastructure provider, expects to earn $19 billion in revenue from the agreement, according to an announcement on Monday. The Hawesville, KY data center will come online with an “initial capacity” in the second half of 2027 before ramping up to 401 megawatts of power delivery in 2028.
[The Wall Street Journal]
AI data center projects are continuing to pop up across the US, with frequent opposition from locals concerned about their impact. Here are a few recent articles about the projects:
- Government Technology: Oregon Tech, Policy Could Face Anti-Data Center Backlash
- Houston Chronicle: Greg Abbott calls for prohibition on data center construction in rural Texas neighborhoods
- Newsweek: ‘Cost Me the Election’: Data Centers Trigger Voter Backlash
- WBUR: Gov. Healey slams brakes on data center tax incentives
The company is weighing plans like selling access to AI models on its infrastructure or letting customers buy compute in a model similar to companies like CoreWeave, Bloomberg reports.
AI data center projects are continuing to pop up across the US, with frequent opposition from locals concerned about their impact. Here are a few recent articles about the projects:
- 404 Media: ’We Will Fight to Our Very Last Breath:’ Township Leaders Vow to Fight Nuclear AI Data Center
- The Frontier: How data center developers won secrecy pledges from Oklahoma officials
- Harvest Public Media: As people protest data centers across the Heartland, lawmakers rush to regulate development
- NJ.com: A tiny N.J. borough approved a $1.8B AI data center — now its residents are fighting back
- Virginia Business: Virginia budget with data center tax moves to Spanberger’s desk
After speaking up for regulation on data centers, Seattle activists say they were called into meetings with HR.
AI data center projects are continuing to pop up across the US, with frequent opposition from locals concerned about their impact. Here are a few recent articles about the projects:
- WPLN News: Nashville zoo’s data center pushback captures broad political support
- MPR News: At Minnesota Capitol, pushback from unions, industry halted new regulations on massive data centers
- Fox 7 Austin: Proposed data center in Taylor draws pushback from community
- KCRG: ‘We’re practically full’: Data center workers fill Eastern Iowa campgrounds
The Justice Department is trying to intervene and dismiss a case from the NAACP alleging xAI’s use of gas turbines in Mississippi are illegally polluting the air. Preventing xAI from using them would endanger national security, DOJ argues, because “Grok provides critical support for the Department of War’s military operations.”
While SpaceX plans satellite-based AI servers, Bloomberg reports it ran into trouble trying to develop and run Grok AI in Memphis, citing unnamed sources. They claim that deals renting capacity to Anthropic ($15 billion annually) and Google ($920 million per month) happened following hardware variation and lag issues:
Elon Musk’s company had planned to train its most cutting-edge AI models on a massive amount of computing power by using a cluster of three data center campuses. However, the firm encountered latency issues when connecting Colossus 1 with two other sites located more than 10 miles away, the people said, compounded by aging network infrastructure.
AI data center projects are continuing to pop up across the US, with frequent opposition from locals concerned about their impact. Here are a few recent articles about the projects:
- Oklahoma’s News9.com: ‘Impeach Them:’ Luther residents voice outrage after data center meeting postponed
- The Oregonian: Hillsboro erupts over data centers: ‘I feel betrayed’
- Politico: Missouri town fires half its city council over data center deal
- The Seattle Times: Seattle passes moratorium on new data centers amid national backlash
