Meta President Says New US Data Centers Will Be Hard to Build After Midterms

At a glance

Dina Powell McCormick, president of Meta Platforms, predicts that after the midterm elections it will become very difficult to build new data centers (large server facilities that handle AI computing) in the United States. She believes expanding existing facilities will be relatively easy.

Key points

1. 1

   Resident opposition to data center construction was cited as one reason for the Democratic Party's election wins.

2. 2

   Existing data centers have built up operating records, and local communities now feel the benefits, so she sees expansion as relatively easy.

3. 3

   She said politicians' positions may change after the election. She reported that one newly elected governor asked for talks, not wanting to miss out on investment.

4. 4

   Meta is building data centers in Louisiana and Ohio and is pursuing one in Texas. Governors elected in Ohio and Texas are demanding that new construction be halted under conditions.

Why it matters

Building AI services requires many data centers, and resident opposition could make that construction harder.