Protests against AI data centers in Missouri and across the U.S. are scrambling political lines

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Demand for more artificial intelligence has led to a rapid growth of AI data centers — and lots of concerned citizens. The politicians aren’t far behind.

In recent months, protesters in Virginia, Pennsylvania, North Carolina and other states have shut down proposals for new building sites. A town in Wisconsin is even trying to oust its mayor after approval of a data center there.

The large-scale facilities are necessary to match the electricity demand required for AI, but high energy costs come with them, angering residents.

Virginia Gov. Abigail Spanberger, a Democrat, won her election last year in part by talking about higher energy bills in the state. And the issue is growing in importance for this year’s midterm elections, even getting on the White House’s radar.

“I do think this is going to be a big issue in our politics throughout this year and probably for the foreseeable future,” said Brendan Steinhauser, the CEO of the Alliance for Secure AI, a group pushing for more AI safeguards.

But the issue isn’t exactly divided by party lines.

While President Trump and his AI czar David Sacks have been outspoken about the need for more data center construction and looser regulations on artificial intelligence, other elected officials on both sides of the aisle are taking a different approach.

Sen. Bernie Sanders of Vermont, an independent who caucuses with Democrats, recently proposed a nationwide moratorium on data center construction. On the other side, Republican Sen. Josh Hawley of Missouri has pushed for more regulation of AI, and Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, a Republican, has urged more caution when it comes to the technology and the companies that create it.

“There are some people that say, you know, the right policy is to just give Big Tech whatever they want, subsidize it and all this stuff, and somehow that’s going to lead us to some happy place. I reject that,” DeSantis said last month.

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