Caffeinated Politics

Donald Trump isn’t totally wrong about his views on data centers. Let me quickly dart away from any metal in my den that may draw the bolts of lightning, and I’ll be back with you in a minute.

Ok, I survived that.

I don’t think I’ve ever been able to say that Trump wasn’t totally wrong about a topic he talked about. That said, his word choice and approach when talking about data centers this week were reckless and confrontational, but the foundation of his thoughts was more correct than not.

I am fortunate that my desk is wooden with only metal drawer handles.

Trump wrote on social media that, “The only reason that communities throughout the U.S.A. should not want Data Centers is if they want to end up being backward and poor.” He added Monday that “If we kill the Golden Goose, you will only have yourselves to blame.”

James and I were talking during one of our late-night walks last week about data centers, and I said their opponents have done a masterful job of creating a narrative of fear and suspicion about the designs and purposes of the centers, then continually stoking that message across the nation. They have largely succeeded in the current political atmosphere, so large swaths of the electorate oppose them.

From a partisan viewpoint, with about 60 days away from the midterms, where passions about everything are high anyway, it does the Republicans great harm to have Trump, in essence, saying, shake off silly concerns about data centers. By doing so, he has pushed his party into a place most members would rather dodge. For politicos watching this play out, this is gold.

The other part of my thinking, the policy part, knows we need to have many reasoned conversations about data centers. It would have been better for the issue, and the citizenry, if Trump had made a policy statement with logic about our domestic needs for computing and the international arena, where we must be competitive and stay front and center.

I understand this is a highly contentious issue, with people right in my neighborhood who see these centers as an existential threat. I view these centers far differently. First, they are needed as economically potent infrastructure required to meet the demand for staggering amounts of computing power. That need will only increase in the years to come.

I agree with opponents on one of their concerns about data centers: their thoughtful placement. Trump’s lack of an artful way of addressing the issue flies in the face of how many rural residents feel about this matter.

Data center construction is shifting toward rural America. At the same time, rural residents report greater concern than urban and suburban Americans about what those projects could mean for their electricity costs and farmland use.

That’s according to a survey released June 26 by researchers at the University of Illinois and Purdue University. The survey of about 1,000 U.S. adults, conducted in February, found rural residents expressed the highest average level of concern overall. Their greatest concern was rising electricity costs, followed by the use of agricultural land for data centers and overuse of water.

By 2030, the energy requirements for data centers are projected to more than double in Illinois and triple in Indiana, Michigan, Minnesota and Wisconsin, researchers added, citing the University of Virginia’s Weldon Cooper Center for Public Service.

According to a separate April analysis of mapping data by the Pew Research Center, a major shift is underway. Nearly 90% of all existing data centers are in urban areas, but 67% of planned facilities are slated for rural communities and 39% are planned in counties without an existing data center.

Lost in the hyper-rhetoric washing over the land about data centers is the need to come together and make rational choices. Newer facilities can sharply reduce freshwater use through closed-loop cooling and recycled water. And with a concerted effort from proponents and foes alike, we can make such requirements the law. Power use and concerns about grid capacity are also areas where legislation and input from all sides can produce a workable result.

I do not think it is hard to argue that, for many areas, as Trump tried to say, these centers can be the long‑awaited economic development they hoped for. Which town or county doesn’t want added tax revenue and construction jobs? But I also fully grasp that rural residents report the highest levels of worry about rising electricity costs, farmland conversion, and water use. With more serious discussions, I believe we can address and alleviate these concerns. But we must do that together.

There is no denying that these centers are strategically important for national competitiveness. Elected officials, researchers, and policymakers should not have to hold their tongues to avoid the wrath of professional shouters to make that clear. The centers are tied to the country’s future technological and geopolitical strength. You and I can agree with that while also understanding that the benefits and risks must be equally distributed. That can only be achieved with legislation, regulations, and guidance from strict government oversight. But we must do that together.

To argue they must never be built is not a serious position to hold. A more credible position is to demand an honest, full-fronted examination of the facts so a community can choose expertise when making informed decisions. I think we can achieve environmental accounting and transparent water-use agreements, along with power grid-impact outcomes that meet public acceptance. We can truly negotiate tax structures that benefit residents. And ensure that rural communities and their residents have truth competing with loud rhetoric. They should not be made to think they are simply a land bank for the digital economy. But we must do that together.

Look, you and I both know that data centers are coming. The question before us is whether we build them in ways that strengthen both the national interest and international requirements and work in tandem with the local communities asked to host them.