Data centre expansion has emerged as an unexpected political flashpoint in the US midterm elections scheduled for November 3, with both Republicans and Democrats opposing rapid facility development. The backlash reflects growing concern over environmental impact, resource consumption and local disruption caused by these warehouse-like installations that power internet services, artificial intelligence systems and cloud computing.
The world contains approximately 12,250 data centres, up sharply from around 8,000 operational sites in 2021, according to Data Center Map. The US dominates with 4,767 sites, followed by Europe, where the UK and Germany lead. By capacity, however, the American advantage widens considerably, with China in second place and Europe significantly behind. This gap concerns analysts who warn Europe risks missing economic benefits from the AI boom.
Data centres vary enormously in scale. China Telecom operates the world's largest, covering approximately one million square metres in Hohhot, Inner Mongolia. Under construction are far larger facilities, including Colossus 2, which will house hundreds of thousands of Nvidia chips and power Elon Musk's xAI chatbot Grok.
The facilities consume extraordinary resources. Data centres worldwide consume more electricity than France, according to analysis cited in the source material. They require significant water for cooling systems, raising concerns about local water shortages. Colossus 2 will use 41 methane gas turbines for power, which activists say could significantly increase air pollution, though local regulators claim the turbines will meet air quality standards.
The tech industry is expected to spend 765 billion dollars on AI infrastructure in 2026, topping one trillion dollars in 2027, according to the source material, fuelling continued expansion. Sixteen US states have proposed laws to ban or temporarily block new facilities. Outside the US, opposition has emerged in Mexico, France, Indonesia and the UK.
Industry supporters argue data centres are critical to national security and AI development, and generate tax revenue, investment and jobs. A Brookings Center report found they do create local employment, though fewer positions than industry advocates claim. Hyperscale facilities operated by Amazon and Microsoft showed greater job benefits than "colocation" facilities leasing space to remote tenants.
As concerns mount, tech companies explore alternatives including space-based data centres powered by solar energy or distributing processing to devices already in use.
President Trump dismissed data centre opposition as a "sick conspiracy," according to the source material.