The Data Center Debate

We do not pick a side. Every fact links to its proof.

Should America keep building data centers?

Some people say yes: they bring jobs, tax money, and keep America ahead in AI. Some people say no: they raise power bills, use a lot of water, and get built next to homes. Both sides have real evidence. This site shows you what each side says, in plain English, so you can make up your own mind.

Start with the basics See both sides Free 52-page handbook

The one rule of this site

Do not take anyone's word for it, including ours. Every number here links to the document it came from, and every document is labeled with who wrote it and who paid for it. A study funded by the industry's lobbying group and a study from a state's nonpartisan auditor are both worth reading. They are not worth the same weight, and you should know which is which before you repeat either one.

How we keep this even-handed

What both sides already agree on

  • 192 TWh. Electricity US data centers used in 2024, about 4.7% of the national total.1
  • 649 TWh by 2030 is the best estimate, with a range of 578 to 782.1
  • 74,000 jobs a year in Virginia, mostly during initial construction.22
  • Costs "will likely increase" for all electricity customers, per the same study.22

The debate is not about these facts. It is about what to do about them. Read the full table

The case against
  1. Regular families are paying part of the bill, and the deals are kept secret so nobody can check.
  2. The grid's own watchdog blames data centers for billions in higher costs.
  3. The jobs do not show up, and states are paying enormous amounts for the few that do.
  4. Virginia studied this honestly, and the permanent half of the verdict is bad.
  5. The water use is real and largely hidden, and the pollution lands on the same neighborhoods it always does.
  6. Communities across the country are saying no, and the industry's own tracker proves it.
  7. They are enormous, they hum all night, and they change what a place is.
  8. The largest one ever built is a live experiment in who holds the bag, and so far the answer is the people who live there.
Read the arguments, the responses and the replies
The case for
  1. These buildings get built no matter what. The only question is where.
  2. The tax money is real, it is already proven, and it is lowering people's bills right now.
  3. The jobs argument, told honestly. And the construction workers are not a footnote.
  4. The cost-sharing problem is real, it has a known fix, and the fix is being installed.
  5. The grid has far more room than people think, if the load will bend.
  6. This industry has actually gotten more efficient before, and the scary forecasts have been wrong before.
  7. The noise and the looks are real complaints with engineering answers, and the answers are being written into law.
  8. When an investment like this lands in a parish like that one, "hold out for a better offer" is not a real answer.
Read the arguments, the responses and the replies

What is new

All updates
Supports the case against November 11, 2026

Botetourt County FOIA lawsuit over Google data center agreement can proceed, judge rules

A Virginia circuit judge on November 10 denied Botetourt County's motion to dismiss a resident's lawsuit alleging the board of supervisors violated the state's Freedom of Information Act when it approved a performance agreement for Google's planned $3 billion data center campus. The plaintiff says the agreement was negotiated in closed session and not adequately explained in public before the vote; the next hearing is set for November 19.

Cardinal News The ruling only lets the FOIA claims proceed to the merits; it is not a finding that the county actually violated the law.
Supports the case against November 11, 2026

Edenton approves 60 day data center moratorium while studying local impacts

The Edenton, North Carolina Town Council voted unanimously on November 10 to pause certain data center approvals through January 10, 2027, covering new facilities and substantial expansions in the town and its extraterritorial planning area. Several residents told the council that 60 days was too short and pressed for a longer, uniform set of rules with surrounding Chowan County.

Albemarle Observer Edenton's 60 day pause only covers town limits and ETJ; a separate Chowan County moratorium is still being drafted.
Supports the case against November 10, 2026

Lighthouse Sustainability withdraws $10 billion Holt data center 13 days after announcement

Lighthouse Sustainability on November 9 told the Lansing Economic Area Partnership it was pulling out of a proposed 423 acre, $10 billion data center campus at the Holt Economic Opportunity Park in Delhi Township, Michigan after sustained public opposition at a November 8 hearing. Delhi Township, which already has a year long data center moratorium, had ended its LEAP membership the day after the October 27 announcement because it said it had not been informed of the pitch in advance.

Crain's Grand Rapids Business Lighthouse withdrew interest in the specific site; the LEAP owned parcel remains available for other proposals.
Supports the case against November 10, 2026

Fairfield City Council approves 45 day data center moratorium

Fairfield, California councilmembers unanimously adopted an emergency 45 day moratorium on new large data centers at a November 10 meeting called after NorthPoint Development inquired about a 289 to 300 acre site east of Vanden Road. The ordinance expires on December 25, 2026 unless the council extends it for up to 22 more months.

KCRA The 45 day ordinance is interim; a longer pause would need a separate extension vote with findings.
Supports the case against November 10, 2026

Oklahoma City extends data center moratorium through end of 2027

The Oklahoma City Council voted unanimously on November 10 to extend its pause on new applications, rezonings and permits for large data centers with loads above 75 megawatts through December 31, 2027, giving staff and a consultant more time to write a dedicated zoning category. The moratorium can be lifted earlier if the new data center zoning code is approved first.

KFOR The extension does not affect two rezoning cases already in the pipeline when the original April moratorium took effect.
Supports the case against November 10, 2026

Riverside City Council adopts resolution barring data center proposals

Riverside, California councilmembers voted 5 to 2 on November 10 to adopt a resolution stating that because data centers are not a use listed in the city code, staff will not issue permits for them and will notify the council if a proposal is filed. Two dissenting councilmembers and several union speakers argued a time limited moratorium with clear regulations would be a stronger protection than a resolution.

The Riverside Record A council resolution is weaker than an ordinance and can be rescinded or overridden by a later council majority.
1,796data center sites and projects on the map 110reports, studies and documents, each tagged by what it supports or refutes 114questions answered from both sides 47tracked numbers with sources and history

The Data Centers Debate Handbook

A free 52-page guide that lets you argue either side with the proof behind it: the basics in plain English, sixteen arguments with counters and replies, cross-examination questions, each side's soft spots, and a bibliography that says who paid for every source.

Download the free PDF

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