Washington, DC — On Sunday, Politico reported that the White House plans to hold a meeting today to discuss executive action that would fast-track the construction of data centers used to power AI companies. Possible executive action could allow these massive data centers to be built on federal lands, bypass pollution limits and get priority access to energy. This fall, the White House met exclusively with Big Tech and Big Energy executives to discuss data center construction. Demand Progress Education Fund led a coalition demanding that the White House also hear from environmental, consumer advocate and civil society groups about the harms of building destructive data centers to power unproven AI.
The following is a statement from Emily Peterson-Cassin, Director of Corporate Power at Demand Progress Education Fund:
“The Biden administration keeps racing to give away our land, our water and our power to Big Tech and Big Energy executives while the American people remain on the sidelines. There are serious questions about the safety, usefulness and financial viability of AI companies, which burn through billions of dollars a year only to offer buggy, gimmicky products that nobody asked for. Meanwhile, we already have hard, sobering answers about the economic and environmental toll of constructing power and water-guzzling AI data centers the size of multiple football fields.
The White House needs to slow down, stop listening only to Big Tech executives betting on a Wall Street payout and hear from everyday Americans who have seen their energy and water costs skyrocket when gigantic data centers are built in their communities.”