Artificial Intelligence (AI) seems to have brought together the unlikeliest pair. Democratic Socialist Sen. Bernie Sanders and right-wing Gov. Ron DeSantis have found common ground this year as leading skeptics of the artificial intelligence industry’s data center boom.
“Frankly, I think you’ve got to slow this process down,” Sanders told CNN in a Dec. 28 interview. “It’s not good enough for the oligarchs to tell us it’s coming — you adapt. What are they talking about? They’re going to guarantee healthcare to all people? What are they going to do when people have no jobs?”
The alignment of two national figures on the left and right signals that a political reckoning is brewing over the AI industry’s impact on electricity prices, grid stability and the labor market.
“We have a limited grid. You do not have enough grid capacity in the United States to do what they’re trying to do,” DeSantis said of the AI industry’s data center plans at an event in The Villages, Florida.
“As more and more information has gotten out, do you want a hyperscale data center in The Villages? Yes or no,” the governor asked. “I think most people would say they don’t want it.”
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Florida Gov. DeSantis unveiled an AI bill of rights on Dec. 4 that would protect local communities’ right to block data center construction among other provisions, which could run afoul of the White House, which is pushing to scale up AI as quickly as possible.
Policymakers, regulators, and communities are increasingly evaluating the long-term sustainability of supporting hyperscale computing facilities, particularly in regions with limited electricity capacity.
“We have gone from a period where data centers were sort of seen as an unmitigated good and as an engine of growth by a lot of elected officials and policymakers to people now recognizing that we’re short,” said Abe Silverman, who served as general counsel for the public utility board in New Jersey from 2019 until 2023 under Democrat Gov. Phil Murphy.
“We do not have enough generation to reliably serve existing customers and data centers,” Silverman said.
The emerging scrutiny of AI data centers highlights a broader debate about how rapidly growing technology industries intersect with infrastructure, energy, and labor considerations. The discussion reflects a shift from viewing tech infrastructure as an unqualified economic boon toward recognizing the potential costs and trade-offs associated with rapid expansion.
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As energy demands rise and local communities weigh environmental and economic impacts, the role of government oversight and public engagement becomes more prominent.
As industries expand at unprecedented rates, communities and policymakers are increasingly tasked with balancing economic growth against environmental sustainability, energy reliability, and workforce considerations.
Public awareness of the potential costs associated with rapid infrastructure development is rising, highlighting the importance of transparent decision-making and community engagement. Regulatory approaches are likely to evolve as stakeholders weigh the trade-offs between encouraging innovation and protecting local interests.
The long-term consequences of these debates for energy grids, labor markets, and environmental outcomes are still unpredictable, but they may shape how AI and other high-demand technologies are developed and deployed in the coming years.