Powerful reporting on this. The bipartisan nature of the pushback is what's most striking, it's not just a NIMBY thing when communities are seeing real infrastructure strain. The fact that Sand Springs residents are willing to break with Trump on this while still supporting him generally shows how immediate these impacts are becomming for people's daily lives.
I believe data centers will become the focus of increasing public resentment and potentially violence. You can already see the pattern emerging. Across municipalities, people are agitated about water and power being diverted toward these facilities. They ask a fair question: why should the needs of data centers outweigh the needs of communities?
It’s easy to see how the data center becomes a symbol of broader dysfunction. When people feel ignored, when the essentials of life are rationed, they look for something to blame. A massive structure, owned by distant billionaires and filled with silent machines drinking power and water 24/7, makes for an easy villain. We need to forge a new future. Check out my three part series.
Reclaiming the Future
Three Essays on Technology, Power, Human Agency and the Work Ahead
Well said - love to see the coalition elements described here.
Powerful reporting on this. The bipartisan nature of the pushback is what's most striking, it's not just a NIMBY thing when communities are seeing real infrastructure strain. The fact that Sand Springs residents are willing to break with Trump on this while still supporting him generally shows how immediate these impacts are becomming for people's daily lives.
I believe data centers will become the focus of increasing public resentment and potentially violence. You can already see the pattern emerging. Across municipalities, people are agitated about water and power being diverted toward these facilities. They ask a fair question: why should the needs of data centers outweigh the needs of communities?
It’s easy to see how the data center becomes a symbol of broader dysfunction. When people feel ignored, when the essentials of life are rationed, they look for something to blame. A massive structure, owned by distant billionaires and filled with silent machines drinking power and water 24/7, makes for an easy villain. We need to forge a new future. Check out my three part series.
Reclaiming the Future
Three Essays on Technology, Power, Human Agency and the Work Ahead
https://kennetheharrell.substack.com/p/reclaiming-the-future