Data centers emerge as growing wedge issue in midterm races

AI Summary

Data centers are becoming a significant political issue in the upcoming U.S. midterm elections, with candidates debating economic benefits versus strain on utility bills, water usage, and energy costs. In Michigan's governor's race, candidates are taking divergent positions ranging from regulatory oversight to building moratoriums.

The tech industry’s expansion of data centers is emerging as a wedge issue in the midterms, as candidates weigh economic opportunity against the associated strain on voters’ utility bills.   In the Michigan governor’s race, Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson (D), whose husband is a top executive at a company pressing for a new data center, wants regulations addressing related water usage and energy costs. Other candidates including Republican Tom Leonard are going even further, pushing for a temporary moratorium on building…