A growing wave of public opposition to data centres is making the issue a surprise factor in the US midterm elections.
Data centres are the large buildings that hold the computer chips needed for internet activity. They have become a physical symbol of the rapid growth of artificial intelligence, and of the fears people associate with it. One senator's adviser told the BBC that a year ago the senator was barely thinking about them, but he is now working on legislation to curb their expansion.
Residents are raising concerns close to home. In Indiana, an Amazon data centre with 26 buildings and 782 diesel-powered generators is being built across the street from one family's house. In Ohio, a planned complex is set to stretch for roughly six square miles.
Source: BBC News, 15 October 2026