Senator Hawley Backs Nationwide Data Center Moratorium Amid Growing Backlash

Republican Senator Josh Hawley has announced his support for a nationwide moratorium on data center construction, aligning with growing public backlash against the energy-intensive facilities. This development follows a significant trend of local ballot measures rejecting data center growth, with voters favoring restrictions in a vast majority of cases across multiple states during recent midterm elections.

The push for a moratorium reflects escalating concerns over the substantial electricity and water consumption of data centers, as well as their potential to drive the expansion of fossil fuel infrastructure. While some studies suggest data centers' impact on utility rates may be less significant than perceived, the sheer scale of their energy demands and the challenges in connecting to existing power grids are fueling opposition. Companies are increasingly exploring on-site power generation to circumvent grid delays, with some, like Anthropic, opting to purchase generators outright, further raising environmental concerns.