The skepticism surrounding data centers has been growing increasingly loud among legislatures and politicians. Governor Ferguson just signed SB 6231, a tax exemption for data centers on replacing equipment, into law, meaning what once was an economic boost to Washington state will now slowly fade as equipment will remain outdated and developers will look elsewhere to build. On the national stage, Senator Bernie Sanders has called for an outright moratorium on all data center development, citing worries about AI displacing workers, among other concerns.
Stopping data center development in the U.S. is not a serious solution. AI development will continue, with or without US involvement. Energy use will continue to grow, and a long-term solution to expand energy capacity and creation will need to develop regardless of AI energy use. The only lasting impact a data center moratorium would have is giving China a strategic advantage on global AI tech deployment.
My latest piece in DC Journal makes the full case for why we should reject a data center moratorium and allow American tech companies to compete globally.
