Neutral infrastructure rules

Regulation of large electricity‑and‑water users should be built on neutral criteria (demonstrable harm, not industry identity), with explicit rules requiring new customers to pay for dedicated infrastructure or mitigation rather than shifting costs onto existing ratepayers. Where common externalities exist, uniform permit and tort frameworks — not ad hoc moratoria or politically selective exemptions — should govern investment and siting decisions. — Framing infrastructure governance as a neutrality problem reframes local fights over data centers as principled rule design questions with implications for utilities, industrial policy, and distributive fairness.