Governors' races are being increasingly buffeted by the toxic politics of data centers
- More governors are tightening rules on data center projects as public backlash grows ahead of the midterm elections.
- Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro said his administration will no longer give data center projects priority for permits or tax breaks unless they meet new standards.
- Those standards include paying the full cost of electricity, showing how water use will be limited, and securing local approval before seeking state approval.
- Shapiro called the new rules the 'strictest guardrails in the nation' but did not impose a moratorium on permits.
- In Texas, Democratic challenger Gina Hinojosa aired an ad accusing Republican Gov. Greg Abbott of favoring data center executives over rural communities.
- The article says the issue is becoming politically toxic in several large states and battlegrounds as communities push back over land use, water demand and power needs.
State-level politics around data centers is intensifying as governors and challengers respond to rising local opposition. The AP reports that the issue has become a campaign problem in several large states and battlegrounds, where residents are questioning the projects’ demands on land, water and electricity.
In Pennsylvania, Gov. Josh Shapiro announced that his administration will stop placing data center proposals at the front of the line for permits or tax exemptions unless developers meet new conditions. Those conditions include paying the full cost of electricity, explaining how water use will be reduced, and first obtaining local approval. Shapiro said the rules amount to the strictest guardrails in the country, though he stopped short of freezing permits.
The article says Shapiro is under pressure from GOP opponent Stacy Garrity as communities in the state push back against proposed projects. Shapiro criticized developers he described as speculative and said many proposals may never be built because of financing, power or customer constraints. In Texas, Democratic candidate Gina Hinojosa used a television ad to attack Republican Gov. Greg Abbott over data centers, reflecting similar rural concerns.
For markets, the political backlash is potentially mildly bearish for data center developers and related AI infrastructure and utility projects if it leads to slower permitting, higher compliance costs or project delays; the broader effect on stocks, crypto, gold and foreign exchange is otherwise limited and mostly neutral.
州长选战越来越受数据中心争议的冲击
各州围绕数据中心的政治争议正在升温。美联社报道称，随着地方反对声音增强，这一议题已在多个大州和摇摆州演变为竞选难题，居民开始质疑这些项目对土地、水和电力的巨大需求。
在宾夕法尼亚州，州长乔什·夏皮罗宣布，除非开发商满足新条件，否则其政府不再把数据中心项目放在许可审批或税收优惠的优先位置。新条件包括由开发方承担全部电费、说明如何减少用水，并先获得地方批准后才能寻求州级批准。夏皮罗称这些规定是全国最严格的约束，但他没有暂停发放许可。
报道还说，夏皮罗正面临共和党对手斯泰西·加里蒂的压力，而宾州多地社区也在反对拟建项目。夏皮罗批评了一些他称为投机性的开发商，并表示不少提案可能根本无法落地，因为融资、电力或客户条件都不具备。得克萨斯州方面，民主党候选人吉娜·希诺霍萨则投放电视广告，指责共和党州长格雷格·阿博特偏向数据中心企业，这反映出农村地区的类似担忧。
对市场而言，这类政治反弹对数据中心开发商及相关人工智能基础设施、公用事业项目可能略偏利空，因为它可能带来更慢的审批、更高的合规成本或项目延期；对股票、加密货币、黄金和外汇的大范围影响则有限，整体偏中性。