Several newly elected Democrats and Senator Bernie Sanders have renewed calls for datacenter moratoriums in the days following the US midterm elections. The Democratic victory, partly driven by backlash against the tech industry, has increased momentum for efforts to slow down the multi-trillion-dollar construction of these facilities.
Senator Sanders posted on X this week, calling for an immediate national datacenter moratorium. He stated, “Americans don’t want Big Tech oligarchs wrecking the environment, gutting jobs and threatening humanity’s future.”
Representative Yassamin Ansari of Arizona also posted on X, stating that a pause on advanced AI development, regulation of the industry, and a ban on artificial superintelligence should be a top Democratic priority. Incoming Texas Governor Gina Hinojosa pledged to halt new datacenter projects in her state until new protections are established, stating, “There are no rules and laws to protect Texans, and Texans are being taken advantage of.”
Opposition to datacenter construction was a prominent issue in the midterms, with voters passing local ballot measures aimed at restricting such projects. This post-midterm anxiety has contributed to a selloff of AI stocks this week, as investors express concerns about potential new regulations like datacenter pauses.