US politicians push back against data centers amid backlash
Concerns over power grids, water, and environment fuel opposition from across the political spectrum.
AI-assisted coverage comparison, editor-supervised · How this was made
US politicians push back against data centers amid backlash
Photograph: The American Bazaar (embedded from source)
What this story says
- A backlash against data center construction is growing across the US, driven by concerns over electricity grids, water supplies, and environmental impact.
- Political leaders from both sides of the aisle, including Texas Gov. Greg Abbott and Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro, are opposing new data center projects.
- Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro has issued an executive order requiring local community approval for data center permits.
- Eight states have rolled back data center tax subsidies in 2026, with 17 others considering similar measures.
Who covered it
Percentages are shares of the 6 outlets carrying a published leaning rating. 1 of the 7 outlets we know ran this story carry no rating and are not counted in them. Coverage measured .
Trust
42/100
Craft
57/100
Hype
41/100
7 sources · methodology
A backlash against data center projects is intensifying across the United States, fuelled by concerns about their strain on electricity grids, water resources, and the environment. This opposition is becoming a significant factor in political campaigns, particularly as companies rapidly build infrastructure to support artificial intelligence expansion.
Political figures from across the spectrum have voiced opposition. Texas Gov. Greg Abbott has paused approvals for new data center construction pending audits of projects' tax breaks, ownership, and proposed water use. In Michigan, Republican Mike Rogers has supported a one-year moratorium on new data center construction. Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro signed an executive order mandating local community approval for data center permits, a shift from his state's previous positioning as a data center hub.
Disagreement on the influence of data centers on elections
The American Bazaar reported that the backlash is intensifying as companies race to build infrastructure for AI expansion. USA Today stated that the bipartisan backlash is scrambling midterm elections. However, explorejeffersonpa.com, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, and statecollege.com focused their reporting on Pennsylvania, stating that data centers are redefining midterm races across the state, with candidates making data center criticism central to their campaigns.
What the coverage left out
None of the reports printed below mention Republican Mike Rogers' support for a one-year moratorium on new data center construction in Michigan. The American Bazaar reported this detail, but it was not included in the digests from the other outlets.
Still developing. We have re-checked which outlets are covering this 1 time, most recently on 25 Aug 2026, 19:00, and will add the sides that appear.
How each side covered it
Our own reading of the reporting listed below, written from the outlets’ articles rather than quoted from them. The reasoning is set out on our methodology page.
Left
2 rated outlets
- The American Bazaar and USA Today reports highlighted the bipartisan nature of the backlash against data centers. The American Bazaar quoted an AI company representative who suggested that public anger over wealth inequality could fuel opposition to data centers. Both outlets noted that states are increasingly rolling back tax subsidies for data centers, with eight states enacting such legislation in 2026 and 17 others considering it. The American Bazaar also mentioned Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro's statement that he would not allow "Pennsylvanians to be bullied by greedy developers and bulldozed by the lawyers working for these big tech companies."
Centre
4 rated outlets
- The centre-rated reports from explorejeffersonpa.com, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, and statecollege.com focused on the impact of data center criticism on midterm elections in Pennsylvania. They noted that candidates in at least 20 competitive legislative races are taking stances on data centers, and Gov. Josh Shapiro has adopted a tougher position. These reports indicated that there are over 120 proposed data centers across Pennsylvania, leading to significant community backlash.
Right
0 rated outlets
No outlet rated right has run this story so far. We are still checking, and will say plainly if that does not change.
Questions about this coverage
- How did the left and right cover US politicians push back against data centers amid backlash?
- Of the 6 outlets on this story carrying a published leaning rating, 33% are rated left, 67% are rated centre, 0% are rated right. Those percentages are shares of the rated outlets, not of every outlet that ran it, which was 7. The sections above set out what each side emphasised, in its own terms.
- Is US politicians push back against data centers amid backlash left or right?
- Too few of the outlets on this story carry a published leaning rating to say. 6 of them do, and this site does not characterise a field under 12: at that size one newsroom filing moves the share by ten points. The percentages above are the count as it stands.
- Is the coverage of US politicians push back against data centers amid backlash biased?
- US politicians push back against data centers amid backlash is one event reported by 7 outlets, and this page does not rate the story as biased or unbiased. What it publishes is the spread: which outlets ran it, where named rating organisations place each of them on the spectrum, and what each side chose to lead with. A leaning rating describes an outlet's record over time, not this article, and the two should not be run together.
- Which outlets covered US politicians push back against data centers amid backlash?
- 7 that we know of, every one of them listed further up this page with a link to its own report and to what we hold on the publisher. Nothing here is a summary of somebody else's summary: the outlets are named so the original reporting can be read.
- Why are people pushing back against data centers?
- There is a growing backlash against data center projects across the U.S. due to concerns about their impact on electricity grids, water supplies, and the environment. This opposition has intensified as companies build infrastructure for the rapid expansion of artificial intelligence.
- Which political leaders are opposing data centers?
- Political leaders from across the spectrum are pushing back. This includes Republican Texas Gov. Greg Abbott, who has paused approvals, and Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro, who signed an executive order requiring local community approval for data center permits.
- What action has been taken regarding data center tax subsidies?
- Eight states enacted legislation rolling back data center tax subsidies in 2026, and 17 other states are considering similar legislation. This indicates a trend of reducing financial incentives for data center development.
Read it at the source
7 outlets, grouped by the leaning a published rating gives them. Every headline links to the original; an underlined outlet name opens our profile of that publisher.
Left
2Centre
4- Data centers are ‘redefining’ midterm races across Pennsylvania (opens Pittsburgh Post-Gazette in a new tab)
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette — is Pittsburgh Post-Gazette biased? Our profile of this outlet
- Data Centers Are ‘Redefining’ Midterm Races Across Pennsylvania (opens statecollege.com in a new tab)
statecollege.com — is statecollege.com biased? Our profile of this outlet
- Data centers are ‘redefining’ midterm races across Pennsylvania (opens LancasterOnline in a new tab)
LancasterOnline — is LancasterOnline biased? Our profile of this outlet
- Data centers redefining midterm races (opens The Standard-Journal in a new tab)
The Standard-Journal — is The Standard-Journal biased? Our profile of this outlet
Right
0No outlet in this group ran the story.
Not rated
1How did this read?
About the coverage, not about the story. We do not ask whether you agree with what happened — we have no honest use for that answer.
