Meta warns election backlash could make data center construction harder

Meta President Dina Powell McCormick said Democratic victories in the US midterm elections could make data center construction more difficult, TechCrunch reported. She said opposition to data centers also reflects public concerns about AI technology.

Meta operates data centers in 23 states and plans five projects with capacity of at least one gigawatt, including a site in Texas. Powell McCormick said communities are more likely to support projects when Meta pays for its electricity, hires local workers and directs added tax revenue toward teachers and first responders.

Powell McCormick expects proposed sites to face more review based on local support. She also said Meta receives daily requests to lease its computing capacity, giving the company another way to generate revenue from its infrastructure.

Powell McCormick said starting "new data center build-outs today in the United States will be very challenging" and that "every hyperscaler is now thinking about 'Do we need to build outside the United States?'", MLQ reported. Expanding existing projects should be easier because communities have had years to see the benefits, she said at the Wall Street Journal event, according to Quartz.