CHAMBERSBURG – With the almost unbearable heat we’ve been experiencing, the idea of overloading the electric grid becomes incredibly apparent.
Now consider what could happen if we had data centers all over our farmland?
Data center alley in northern Virginia has already had problems with the electric grid – what if oppressive heat is added to that situation?
Attorney Clint Barkdoll said, “There’s just growing public opposition to these data centers, so the one year to 18 month moratoriums that seem to be popping up all over the country at the municipal level or at the state level, I wouldn’t totally rule it out.”
Then Open AI announced they would go public later this year and offered the US government a 5% ownership stake in the company.
Barkdoll said, “That equates to over $42 billion. There’s some criticism already of this, saying, is this a way for OpenAI to kind of grease the skids, so that the government eases regulations on some of the things that they want to do. That very much could play into, like these moratorium issues we’re discussing as well.”
Pat Ryan of News Talk 103.7FM wondered, “Why doesn’t Open AI open up shop here, and help the governor close the budget gap here in Pennsylvania?”
Barkdoll said, “That’s one of the counterpoints on this. These data centers generate tremendous amounts of tax revenue, mostly at the local level. You see that in Virginia, but like this idea of giving the federal government 5%, you could see these kinds of scenarios where they come into a state with a moratorium and say, well, hey, in exchange for lifting the moratorium for our data center, we will give you x amount of money?”
In the Philadelphia area there’s a data center looking at a more rural type township.
Barkdoll said, “They’re offering every household in that township $10,000 and some are saying, well, that’s a bribe. This is just their way of getting in here, but I think you’re going to see more and more of these kinds of exchanges.”
Michele Jansen of News Talk 103.7FM pointed out, “I don’t think that’s going to make up, depending on the impacts, you could lose a lot more than that on the value of your home if you own a home, compared to what you could get for it down the road, if they’re all the negative impacts that we’re seeing in some communities are there, and I’m not saying that’s necessarily the case there, but this is all touted as such an economic boon for Pennsylvania, and it will bring in certain things, but you do have to pay attention. I don’t know why we can’t get it straight. There’s more advantageous places these things can go. Why aren’t we maybe paying more attention to that, which of course is what some of these moratoriums are about.”
Barkdoll added, “Look at Prince William County in Virginia, Data Center Alley – they’ve brought in hundreds and hundreds of millions of new tax dollars from all those data centers, but now the county government wants out of them. They’re saying this was too much of a good thing. They see all the problems that they are creating, and I think that’s the cautionary tale if you’re a municipality trying to bring in these data centers.”