Laurie Gilley, a 61-year-old resident of South Whitehall Township in Pennsylvania, has become a key figure in an informal political movement opposing data centers. After learning that a data center was planned for land near her home and the local high school, Gilley helped form the South Whitehall Township Civic Alliance to fight the project. Her efforts have energized a broad-based resistance to data centers, particularly in areas where they are proposed near residential neighborhoods or environmentally sensitive land.
The opposition to data centers has been intense in Pennsylvania, with residents expressing concerns about property values, rising utility bills, the impact on water and power supply, and the loss of rural character and environment. Some also question whether artificial intelligence is a good idea at all. This resistance has crossed party lines, with voices coming from both Republicans and Democrats.
With the midterm elections approaching, the question is whether this widespread opposition will translate into votes and which candidates might benefit. Christopher Borick, a political science professor and director of the Lehigh University Opinion Observatory, noted that it doesn’t take much to tip elections in Pennsylvania. He described the data center issue as being “front and center” in the race between incumbent U.S. Rep. Ryan Mackenzie, a Republican, and Democrat Bob Brooks, a retired firefighter, in the 7th Congressional District. The issue is also significant in three other congressional races expected to be decided by thin margins.
Borick also mentioned that President Donald Trump’s declining approval rating could hurt Republican incumbents in all four districts. He said that Trump’s support is a “big weight and anchor on Republicans” in tight races, and that the data center issue may be the “straw that breaks the camel’s back” for voters.
Harvie is the only candidate so far to say he supports a moratorium on data centers. Perry, meanwhile, has adopted Trump’s strong overall support for data centers, saying they are essential to helping the United States stay ahead globally on artificial intelligence.
