Governors' races are being increasingly buffeted by the politics of data centers
- As midterm elections approach, more governors are adjusting their positions on data centers as public opposition grows over their energy and water use.
- Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro said his administration will no longer fast-track data center permits or tax exemptions unless developers meet standards on electricity costs, water-use limits and local approval.
- Shapiro described the new rules as the strictest guardrails in the country and said the state has received reports of more than 100 proposed projects, many of which he said may never be built.
- Texas Democratic candidate Gina Hinojosa has launched ads accusing Republican Gov. Greg Abbott of siding with data center interests, using rural concerns over water and land use in her campaign.
- The issue is becoming a campaign theme in major states and battlegrounds, with candidates and governors facing pressure from communities wary of large server warehouses.
Governors' races in several large states are being shaped by rising backlash against data centers, which critics say consume large amounts of electricity and water. As public opposition grows, some governors are tightening rules rather than promoting projects, making the issue part of the political debate heading into the midterms.
In Pennsylvania, Democratic Gov. Josh Shapiro said his administration will no longer give data center proposals top priority for permits or tax exemptions unless developers meet requirements on power costs, water use and local approval. He said the state will not advance projects that cannot show financing, power supply or customers, and argued that some developers are pressuring local officials over projects that may never be built.
The issue is also being used in Texas politics, where Democratic candidate Gina Hinojosa has attacked Republican Gov. Greg Abbott in rural-advertising campaigns over data centers' effect on ranchland and water supplies. The broader market impact is likely mixed to slightly negative for data-center developers and related infrastructure stocks, while the effect on major markets appears limited and neutral overall.
州长竞选日益受到数据中心政治争议的影响
在多个大州的州长选举中，数据中心引发的反弹正在影响竞选格局。批评者认为，这类设施消耗大量电力和水资源；随着公众反对情绪升温，一些州长开始收紧规定，而不是积极推动项目，这也使该议题进入中期选举前的政治争论。
在宾夕法尼亚州，民主党州长夏皮罗表示，州政府将不再把数据中心项目的审批和税收优惠放在优先位置，除非开发商满足电力成本、用水限制和地方批准等条件。他说，州里不会推动那些无法证明融资、供电和客户来源的项目，并指责一些开发商向地方官员施压，而这些项目可能最终并不会落地。
在得克萨斯州，这一议题也被纳入竞选攻防。民主党候选人希诺霍萨在面向农村地区的广告中攻击共和党州长阿博特，称其向数据中心利益倾斜。就市场而言，这类政策收紧可能对数据中心开发商及相关基础设施股票略偏利空，但对更广泛市场的整体影响预计有限、偏中性。