Senate candidates are facing growing pressure from voters to address the rapid expansion of data centers.
asserted
candidates → face → centers
Some candidates have responded by backing a moratorium on data center construction, as favored by Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT) and other congressional Democrats.
asserted
candidates → respond → Sanders
Others have called for restrictions on data centers, such as requiring that their energy consumption does not add to others’ utility bills.
asserted
consumption → call → bills
And some have said that decisions about data centers should be left to local officials.
asserted
decisions → say → officials
Earlier this year, the House of Representatives passed the Ratepayer Protection Act, requiring states to consider standards for new data centers to cover the costs of new generation, transmission, and infrastructure upgrades.
asserted
House → pass → generation
However, Senate Democrats blocked the bill from passing last month, arguing it did not go far enough because compliance is voluntary.
asserted
compliance → block → bill
Ossoff has not advocated or proposed a data center moratorium.
asserted
Ossoff → advocate → moratorium
Ossoff has said data centers should cover their energy costs.
asserted
centers → say → costs
Sen. Jon Ossoff has not advocated or proposed any type of moratorium on data centers.
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Ossoff → advocate → centers
In April, the senator sent a letter to the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission announcing that his office would investigate whether data centers increased power bills in the state.
asserted
centers → send → state
Ossoff said those in Georgia have been “suffering from sky-high power bills” due to large-load customers like data centers.
asserted
those → say → centers
“Since 2019, Georgia has seen over $4.5 billion in AI-related venture capital investments, and this booming growth in computing power creates massive new demand for electricity,” he wrote.
asserted
he → see → electricity
The senator was also one of four Democrats who voted in favor of the Ratepayer Protection Act.
asserted
who → vote → Act
Collins opposes a federal moratorium.
asserted
Collins → oppose → moratorium
Collins supports localities making decisions related to data centers.
asserted
Collins → support → centers
Georgia’s Republican Senate candidate, Rep. Mike Collins, has opposed a federal moratorium on data centers.
asserted
candidate → oppose → centers
Instead, he has argued that data centers should be addressed on a local level.
asserted
centers → argue → level
In August, Collins told reporters that “at the end of the day this should be a local decision.”
asserted
this → tell → day
“The people of each locality — they know what they can and can’t handle,” Collins said.
asserted
Collins → know → what
“Do we need data centers?
asserted
we → need → centers
We sure do.
asserted
We → do → ?
We certainly do.
asserted
We → do → ?
But if it is going to go in and hurt local infrastructure, then those people don’t deserve to have that happen to them.”
asserted
that → go → them
Cooper has said local communities should have the final say on data center development, including with respect to a moratorium.
asserted
communities → say → moratorium
Cooper has said developers should pay the full cost of power use.
asserted
developers → say → use
Former Gov. Roy Cooper, the Democratic nominee, has said that communities should have the final say on data center projects, including imposing moratoriums.
asserted
communities → say → moratoriums
Dozens of communities in North Carolina have implemented data center moratoriums.
asserted
Dozens → implement → moratoriums
He released a plan called “Make Stuff Cost Less,” calling for data centers to pay the full cost of all the power they use and for preventing costs from being passed down to consumers.
asserted
they → release → consumers
Cooper’s spokesperson criticized his Republican opponent, Michael Whatley, telling the Washington Examiner that it has been reported that he has “secretly consulted for a data center company while campaigning for Senate and personally profited as its stocks have spiked.”
Michael Whatley (Republican)
Data center moratorium: Whatley does not support a moratorium.
asserted
Whatley → criticize → moratorium
Whatley supports data centers covering their own energy costs and opposes subsidies.
asserted
Whatley → support → subsidies
Michael Whatley supports the expansion of data centers to win the AI race against China, a stance in alignment with that of the Trump administration.
asserted
Whatley → support → administration
Whatley, who has worked for decades as an energy lobbyist, said data center developers need to work with communities to ensure adequate infrastructure is in place to support the projects.
asserted
infrastructure → work → projects
However, he has said that there should not be a “blanket no” to data center development.
asserted
he → say → development
A campaign spokesman told the Washington Examiner that Cooper has “bankrolled the data center boom, hid it in the fine print, and stuck North Carolina families with a 30 percent rate hike to pay for it.”
asserted
Cooper → tell → it
He added that Whatley’s position is that data centers should “pay their own way, families pay nothing, and communities decide.
asserted
communities → add → nothing
That means Big Tech builds or buys every megawatt it needs and covers every dime of the grid upgrades to deliver it, with zero costs shifted onto residential ratepayers.”
asserted
costs → mean → ratepayers
The spokesperson noted that there should be “no special subsidies and no sweetheart deals cut over the heads of taxpayers.
asserted
spokesperson → note → taxpayers
And it means the people of North Carolina’s counties and towns, not bureaucrats in Raleigh or Washington, decide what gets built in their communities.
asserted
what → mean → communities
North Carolina should win the AI economy, and it should win it on terms that protect the families who live here.”
asserted
who → win → families
Peltola has not advocated or proposed a data center ban.
asserted
Peltola → advocate → ban
…and 167 more, not listed.
The Aporia
