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‘Cost Me the Election’: Data Centers Trigger Voter Backlash

posted by hubie on Sunday June 28, @12:19PM   

owl writes:

https://www.newsweek.com/cost-me-the-election-data-centers-trigger-voter-backlash-12118327

A wave of voter anger over massive data center projects is beginning to reshape U.S. politics, with local officials and senior lawmakers losing elections after backing controversial developments tied to the artificial intelligence boom.

In Utah on Wednesday, State Senate President J. Stuart Adams—one of the most powerful Republicans in the state—lost his primary election after supporting a major data center development near the Great Salt Lake, in one of the clearest signs yet of the growing political risks tied to the industry.

At the local level, the fallout was just as direct. "Do I think that the data center vote cost me the election? Yes I do," former Box Elder County Commissioner Lee Perry said after conceding his primary race, after voting to advance the same project.

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Original Submission

• Re:As it should be(Score: 5, Insightful) by krishnoid on Sunday June 28, @04:37PM

  by krishnoid (1156) on Sunday June 28, @04:37PM (#1446541)

  "Do I think that the data center vote cost me the election? Yes I do,"

  "Do I think that supporting a large, ugly, loud, permanent, exceedingly visible, residential-resource-diverting, invisible-public-utility (not like Amazon) is the kind of political position that repulses people enough to redirect their voting patterns? Well, when you put it that way, I do now"

  i mean, if they instead made it at least one of:

  • small
  • attractive
  • quiet
  • temporary
  • low-impact
  • providing a visible, discretionary consumer-level service

  the electorate might have swallowed it. But ... seriously?

  Parent

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