Bipartisan Efforts Rise to Challenge Data Centers Amid Trump Tensions
WHO:
Alternet - President Trump is mentioned as actively courting tech titans and promoting the expansion of data centers.
Lakeland Ledger - Sam Romain is the chair of the Polk County Republican Executive Committee. Magdalene DuPree is a founder of the group Defund Oligarchy Blessed by Liberty. John Hill is the chair of the Polk County Democratic Party Executive Committee. James Fishback is a Republican candidate for governor. Bobby Williams is a Republican from Winter Haven running for governor. Governor Ron DeSantis is mentioned as skeptical about data centers.
Lakeland Ledger - Robert Anzalone is a Lakeland Democrat running for the Florida House in District 49.
WHAT:
Alternet - A recent Reuters/Ipsos poll found that less than a third of Americans approve of the fast pace of construction of data centers, and most would oppose building a data center in their own community.
Fast Company - A report by the organization monitoring the PJM market concluded that expected power demand from data centers was a primary reason for $23 billion in customer price increases that will last until at least the end of 2028.
Alternet - Nearly half of all candidates who have run anti-data center campaigns since December 2025 have been Republicans.
Alternet - At least 12 GOP candidates have aired ads against data centers.
Lakeland Ledger - A proposed 4.4 million-square-foot data center by Stonebridge is planned for a former phosphate mine in northern Fort Meade.
Lakeland Ledger - The Fort Meade data center project is expected to create 456 permanent jobs paying an average of more than $100,000.
Lakeland Ledger - Polk County commissioners voted 5-0 to approve a 10-year package of tax breaks totaling $140 million for the Fort Meade project.
Lakeland Ledger - A recent Gallup poll found that more than 70% of Americans oppose building data centers for AI in their areas, with 81% of Democrats and 75% of Republicans opposing or strongly opposing such projects.
WHERE:
Alternet - The data center opposition is noted in various locations across the U.S., including Maine and Wyoming.
Lakeland Ledger - The proposed data center is located in Fort Meade, Florida, and another smaller project is proposed in Lakeland, Florida.
Lakeland Ledger - The Polk County Republican Executive Committee and the Polk County Democratic Party Executive Committee are both located in Polk County, Florida.
WHEN:
Lakeland Ledger - The Fort Meade City Commission approved a development agreement for the data center in April 2026.
Lakeland Ledger - A public forum regarding the Fort Meade data center was held in January 2026.
Lakeland Ledger - A one-year moratorium on data centers is being considered by Lakeland commissioners.
WHY:
Fast Company - Concerns are rising among ratepayers across the United States about the potential costs they might have to bear due to data centers not paying their "fair share" of electricity costs.
Alternet - Concerns about data centers include their impact on utility bills, which can rise as much as 267 percent, and the perception that they represent an unfettered elite.
Lakeland Ledger - Residents express concerns about environmental impact, energy and water usage, and economic costs to local communities.
Lakeland Ledger - The opposition to data centers is described as bipartisan, reflecting a basic distrust of large AI companies and technology.
HOW:
Fast Company - The complexity of setting prices for electricity involves regulators identifying costs incurred by utility companies, allocating those costs to customer categories, and designing prices to recover those costs.
Lakeland Ledger - Residents in Polk County are uniting across political lines to oppose data centers, with efforts including public meetings and petition campaigns for recall elections of city commissioners.
Lakeland Ledger - Stonebridge has promised to use a closed-loop system of liquid cooling to reduce water use for the proposed data center.
(UPDATED July 10, 2026 10:06 UTC)
A recent Reuters/Ipsos poll revealed that less than a third of Americans approve of the rapid construction of data centers, with many opposing the idea of having one built in their own community. This growing concern comes as a report indicates that the anticipated power demand from these centers is a key factor behind a staggering $23 billion increase in customer prices, expected to last until at least the end of 2028. The challenge lies in the complexity of electricity pricing, where regulators must identify utility costs, allocate them to different customer categories, and design prices to ensure those costs are recovered.
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(UPDATED July 10, 2026 06:19 UTC)
President Trump is actively courting tech titans and promoting the expansion of data centers, even as nearly half of all candidates who have run anti-data center campaigns since December 2025 have been Republicans. A proposed 4.4 million-square-foot data center in Fort Meade, Florida, is expected to create 456 permanent jobs with an average salary exceeding $100,000, and Polk County commissioners have approved a substantial tax break package for the project. However, a recent Gallup poll reveals that over 70% of Americans oppose building data centers for AI in their areas, reflecting widespread concerns about their environmental impact and rising utility costs.