Posted on 12/15/2025 12:17:28 AM PST by RandFan
Republicans on Capitol Hill who have championed the tech industry’s race to dominate artificial intelligence are confronting a growing political obstacle: voters angry over the soaring energy demands and utility costs tied to the data centers.
The politics of data centers are still very much in flux, but GOP politicians may be particularly vulnerable to a voter backlash because of their pro-development views and President Donald Trump’s all-in support for AI — including blocking states from setting their own rules.
Some are starting to seek distance from the White House. Florida Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis floated new limits on data centers as part of an “AI bill of rights.” Georgia Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene and Missouri Sen. Josh Hawley have also questioned Trump’s state preemption drive.
Increasingly, congressional lawmakers from states at the center of the data center boom — such as Indiana, Kentucky, Ohio, Pennsylvania and Virginia — are feeling the heat and looking to adjust.
“I think people have very legitimate concerns, and that is: Who is going to pay the bill for the additional energy that’s demanded from this?” said Rep. Rob Wittman (R-Va.). “They go, ‘My power bill’s gone up because somebody down the road is building a data center.’”
(Excerpt) Read more at politico.com ...
What nonsense when the democrats oppose energy production.
>voters angry over the soaring energy demands and utility costs tied to the data centers.
Green energy extremism has caused most of this, the AI data centers just are a way for the Dems to blame the problems on something besides Dem policy. Trump and Vance need to pin this on the Dems.
Why do we listen to Democrats talking about Republicans?
They certainly don't the other way.
If the projected 200 1 GB data centers necessary for the adoption of AI actually materialize, we will need to increase US Energy Production by 50%.
That means everything to keep the lights on. And, coal plants won’t be retired.
Or, we can face a tripling of electricity costs and shortages.
I really hate seeing AI when I google anything...it’s a pain...ALWAYS have to go beyond the AI summary.
There are extensions to block those.
>> If the projected 200 1 GB data centers necessary for the adoption of AI
Wow, really? I have about 900 1GB data centers’ worth of storage right here in my laptop. And my lights aren’t dimming. In fact my “data center” runs for four hours on a battery about the size of a dozen one foot rulers bundled together.
Are you sure you have your facts straight, FRiend?
The left knows how to do politics.
The GOP are the Washington Generals of politics.
Balderdascious drivel based on speculative rumors derived from speculation on Youtube
Correct.
The left has one big advantage:
“The issue is not the issue. The revolution is the issue.”
That means they can focus group like crazy, pick any issue that sticks and declare it their own.
If that issue falls out of favor later they can just pretend it never happened—while they move on to “the next big thing”.
Correct.
The left has one big advantage:
“The issue is not the issue. The revolution is the issue.”
That means they can focus group like crazy, pick any issue that sticks and declare it their own.
If that issue falls out of favor later they can just pretend it never happened—while they move on to “the next big thing”.
This can never be stated enough. People assume that Democrats are just like us, but we just disagree.
I grew up in a Democrat community and went to college in a very leftist college.
I love to tell the story of my first day at college.
My father had given me a copy of Dale Carnegie’s “How to Win Friends and Influence People” the summer before and I had read it.
I was attending an elite college and planned to make as many friends as I could—take full advantage of the opportunity.
So—it is the first day and I am bringing stuff into my dorm room.
I see a guy across the hall doing the same thing.
I immediately followed the Dale Carnegie advice. I walked up to the young man.
“Hello, my name is ________.” and then I offered my hand to shake his hand.
He glared back at me (with what I would later realize was a Charles Manson stare) and announced “I am a Marxist” and then turned around and went back into his room without shaking my hand.
Leftists really are different.
The AI barons support Democrats. Blame them instead.
Also if it ain’t us doing AI…the ChiComs will and are already.
In Washington State, Microsoft has broken ground on the world’s first commercial fusion reactor, which is intended to supply power solely to its AI project.
https://www.heraldnet.com/news/everett-based-helion-receives-approval-to-build-fusion-power-plant/
Exactly. I laughed when I read the headline. Politico is always looking for GOP political “conundrums” to write about to the point of completely missing the boat on issues in an industry. With AI, it is energy production. Jensen Huang said that Trump has given the US a fighting chance and maybe even a competitive advantage in the AI tech race by focusing on lowering energy prices and promoting nuclear power again. There is a military race going on among nations to see who will win the AI race. The US has to win it. Energy production is key to winning it. The Dems and these states that want to impose restrictions don’t get it.
This. It all starts with this. AI = democrats.
Should have been put together with this one:
“The issue is not the issue. The revolution is the issue.”
It is all spot-on - together they express the true painting. All these AI data centers, in whatever state they are placed in and built, are going to turn their respective states blue.
"People assume that Democrats are just like us, but we just disagree"
Correct, 1000% (one thousand percent) correct. Not all employees are the same. Who works at an AI data center? Who are the managers? Who are the barons?
Very scary people. That's who will be voting in your state in the future. I would not want them around me that is for sure.
This is total misdirection by Politico. Real headline: ONLY the GOP supports energy growth and data centers-—with reasonable requirements that they provide their own power.
The DemoKKKrats are green and totally opposed to data centers, which is the wave of the future.
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