Trending Now - The Struggle for Fairness in America’s Data Centers

WHO:

The Guardian - Marco Gutiérrez, founder of Latinos for Trump, warned about cultural dominance in 2016.

The Guardian - Sam Altman, CEO of OpenAI, discussed the scale of data centers.

The Guardian - Kevin O’Leary, venture capitalist, commented on protests against a data center in Utah.

The Guardian - The University of Michigan is involved in building a $1.2 billion nuclear weapons research and AI data center.

WHAT:

The Guardian - AI data centers consume 6% of electricity supply in the UK and US; this could rise to over 14% by 2030.

The Guardian - American utilities sought almost $30 billion in retail rate increases in the first half of 2025.

The Guardian - Power prices on the largest electric grid in the US jumped 76% in the first quarter due to demand from data centers.

Vox Tech - A Gallup poll shows 70% of Americans oppose data centers in their local area, with 48% strongly opposed.

WHERE:

The Guardian - Fayetteville, Georgia, where residents experienced low water pressure due to a nearby data center.

The Guardian - Ypsilanti Township, Michigan, where the University of Michigan is attempting to build a data center.

WHEN:

The Guardian - The University of Michigan's data center project is associated with a proposed moratorium on water and sewer services for one year.

WHY:

The Guardian - Concerns about the environmental impact, noise, and resource diversion from data centers are driving public opposition.

The Guardian - The University of Michigan claims the proposed moratorium discriminates against data centers.

HOW:

The Guardian - The University of Michigan's legal threat claims the moratorium is "pretextual and unlawfully discriminatory."

(UPDATED May 16, 2026 19:20 UTC)

Marco Gutiérrez, founder of Latinos for Trump, has raised concerns about cultural dominance, while Sam Altman, CEO of OpenAI, discussed the scale of data centers, which are projected to consume over 14% of electricity supply in the UK and US by 2030. In Fayetteville, Georgia, residents are facing low water pressure due to a nearby data center, and in Ypsilanti Township, Michigan, the University of Michigan is pushing forward with a $1.2 billion nuclear weapons research and AI data center project amid public opposition driven by environmental concerns and resource diversion. The university is also contesting a proposed one-year moratorium on water and sewer services, claiming it is discriminatory against data centers.