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Posted on 09/28/2026 4:39:13 PM PDT by Libloather
A big developer that’s desperate to build a data center near a Pennsylvania town has reportedly offered to pay every family there $10,000 – but most are still pushing back, part of a nationwide trend of opposition to such sites.
While seeking approvals for a data center project in the Pocono foothills, Northpoint Development sent letters to the 10,460 residents of nearby Hazle Township this summer, offering to write a check to each household to spend on “whatever you want.”
Totaling $45 million, the payouts would be a substantial boost for many residents of the town, where the average household income is $60,000. They could use it to cover six months of rent in a two-bedroom apartment or fund their groceries or gas for many months longer, according to the Wall Street Journal.
But many of the Pennsylvanians are rejecting the payments, skeptical the developer is trying to bribe them into signing off on a data center that could cause noise and light pollution, or simply help the acceleration of AI, which they fear could eradicate broad swaths of jobs.
Jeff Fasnacht, a retired teacher who lives near the planned location of the new data center, shared the same concern as many other residents around the country protesting data center buildouts – a new form of NIMBYism.
“$10,000 doesn’t match how much it’s going to tank my property value,” Fasnacht told the Wall Street Journal, while enjoying a Scotch and a cigar after a round of golf.
Ed Negra, a retired homeowner, added that the developer’s offer might end up backfiring since it could prompt residents to probe the potential downsides of the data center.
“I think it works the opposite way, because most people have the opinion that, ‘Hey, are they trying to bribe us here?’” he was quoted...
(Excerpt) Read more at nypost.com ...
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I can understand the need for artificial intelligence.
Our local paper did a story on Data Centers when this issue ripened - and in all honesty they mentioned that Florida has hundreds of Data Center and in all these years they’ve never received a complaint about any of them.
So if these folks are looking for a place that knows the score and would enjoy $10,000 per family - come on down to Florida...
I have been working to help build data centers.
I see that it is a big country, and if the majority of an affected jurisdiction doesn’t want one, a suitable area that does can be found.
Then take the 50 grand and sell out before the market collapses.
$100 k
I would think that there are a lot of former automotive cities in the Rust Belt that have lost most of their industry that would be happy to have some data centers.
Per year?
The people should pay them to build there. Stupid people thinks data centers are bad.
The propaganda on these data centers is both absurd and and surprisingly effective
It’s hard to find a better business to locate to your area
High tech, good jobs, minimal traffic impact, no environmental issues -total win win with minimal downside but CCP funded activists are demonizing the sites and creating a huge new class of Neo luddites who oppose the new centers with a passion - all because China and their Democrat allies here want to cripple our emerging AI economy
The people should pay them to build there. Stupid people thinks data centers are bad.
Tech companies, political leaders, and industry messaging groups have launched an aggressive PR counter-offensive, leaning heavily on claims that the grassroots anti-data-center movement is being fueled by Chinese influence operations or simply ill-informed technical luddites. While foreign actors like China do attempt to amplify existing debates, anti-data center sentiment is driven primarily by real, local community concerns.
Public backlash against the unchecked construction of data centers has surged dramatically. Multiple polls, including a notable Gallup survey, reveal that roughly 70% of Americans now oppose local data center construction, citing soaring electricity bills, immense water consumption, and minimal long-term job creation. This unified opposition from both sides of the political aisle has led to massive project delays, over 180 local moratoriums, and a coordinated nationwide protest movement.
In response to this multi-billion dollar threat to the artificial intelligence boom, the tech industry and its allies have begun deploying “national security” rhetoric to reshape public opinion.
The phrase “AI War” is nebulous enough such that it can mean whatever its proponents want it to mean. It is frequently used by tech executives and political figures as a high-stakes buzzword to bypass local resistance, and is a powerful rhetorical tool often used by data center developers, tech conglomerates, and aligned policymakers to create a sense of national urgency. By framing data center expansion as a matter of national survival, proponents can bypass local opposition and fast-track approvals.
Tech companies define “winning” as raw compute capacity (more data centers, more chips, more power). This directly aligns with their business goals of corporate growth and market capitalization.
While the benefits of winning the AI war are framed as public and national, the profits remain strictly private. Tech companies use public infrastructure (water, electrical grids) and often receive massive local tax breaks under the guise of patriotic necessity.
There is no agreed-upon finish line for an “AI war.” Because tech evolves constantly, the argument creates a permanent state of emergency that justifies indefinite, rapid data center expansion.
The vast majority of data center capacity is currently being built to power commercial products like search engines, ad-targeting, productivity software, and consumer chatbots, not state defense systems.
How much do the owners of the data center expect to make over the life of the data center? All in, how much? Split the profits evenly among all the current citizens…to be fair, right?
Its Chyna funding this data center backlash.
“The people should pay them to build there. Stupid people thinks data centers are bad.”
____________________________________________________________
“What’s in it for me?!”
Too much Objectivism.
“The propaganda on these data centers is both absurd and and surprisingly effective
It’s hard to find a better business to locate to your area”
___________________________________________________________
Data centers are clearly beneficial to most people, but they still have downsides. Here’s a CalTech specialist in them.
The POTUS is a Piker with his 5,000 dollar offer IMHO.
😂 Good’un...
$10,000 minus $50,000 in home value. Mix in some higher utility bills and no peace from the noise.
all because China and their Democrat allies here want to cripple our emerging AI economy
I have previously said its the modern day arms race with China. Newer data centers recycle the water and use minimal resources. They are currently considering building one literally in my backyard (less then a mile away). After research I changed my mind about the evil data centers. 10k would certainly sweeten the pot.
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