Data centers are now a midterm issue, even in Brooklyn — SkimNews
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- Data Center Watch reported that almost $200 billion in data-center projects were delayed, stalled, or blocked in the first half of 2026 because of political and community opposition.
- Virginia, already nicknamed the “data center capital of the world,” has hundreds of new data centers planned; Pennsylvania, Georgia, Texas, New York, and Virginia are also considering guardrails or transparency rules for the rapid build-out.
- Newsreel’s Brooklyn election event repeatedly turned to AI and data centers; attendees booed when the moderator asked who was pro-AI data center, and Jack Brewster said AI was the second-most common topic in RSVP questions.
- Batya Ungar-Sargon said some labor unions support data centers because of promised jobs, but noted that the many jobs created during construction are not permanent once construction ends.
- Astead Herndon said the same lack of consent exists among Republicans, citing Vivek Ramaswamy’s booing in Ohio after he made the Rust Belt argument that enormous buildings represented prosperity and stability.
- Hilary Flint said residents still protest build-outs even where communities receive benefits because they “value their lives a little bit more than a temporary check,” while the panel cited opaque zoning and secret local deals.
- Chi Ossé said tech executives should be called to testify before Congress when they discuss technology that “could deplete 10% of human civilization,” and he called for higher taxes on billionaires.
Why it matters: With nearly $200 billion in projects delayed, stalled, or blocked in the first half of 2026, opposition is already materially affecting the build-out. Some unions support projects for the jobs they promise, but those construction jobs end, leaving communities to weigh short-term gains against environmental, health, and accountability concerns.
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