Worth Knowing

Data centers are now a midterm issue, even in Brooklyn

Growing voter hostility toward AI infrastructure and its environmental and economic impacts is stalling hundreds of billions of dollars in data center projects and turning AI into a mainstream political issue.

At a Brooklyn midterm election event hosted by Newsreel, panels and attendees repeatedly focused on the growing public backlash against AI and data center construction. A recent report from Data Center Watch found that nearly $200 billion in data center projects were delayed or blocked in the first half of 2026 due to community and political opposition.

  • Newsreel
  • Data Center Watch

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