How gubernatorial candidates plan to ease voters about data centers

Candidates for governor are offering different visions for how to balance economic development with residents’ concerns over rising electricity demand, land use, and local control as data centers become a prominent issue in state politics.

The facilities that power cloud computing and artificial intelligence have become a flashpoint in several states as communities push back against large-scale developments. While few candidates oppose data centers outright, many are proposing new guardrails for where they can be built and how they affect nearby residents.