Data‑centers as Political Lightning Rods

As AI boosts demand for massive compute, data‑center projects are migrating from technical permitting conflicts into visible political battles. Local energy use, tax deals, and perceived elite rent extraction turn these facilities into election‑level issues that can reshape municipal and state politics. — If true, this reframes AI infrastructure from a technical planning problem into a durable source of political realignment, forcing national policy on energy, permitting, and community compensation.