The mid-term elections are next week. Here in Alabama, voters will choose a new Governor and decide races for the U.S. House, among others. Higher prices for groceries and gasoline appear to be a major issue with the public. Another is what to do about data centers. These big projects are supported by those who see them as a money maker or a way to harness artificial intelligence. There are those who hold a less positive view. Let’s take a look at the issue and how the two men running for Governor of Alabama are talking about it…
Democrat Doug Jones and Republican Tommy Tuberville both want to be Alabama governor. Whoever wins the race to lead the state next week will have high profile problems to deal with, and data centers are one of them. The internet platform website Cleanview keeps an eye on data centers in Alabama. That website says there are thirteen in operation and fifteen more planned. It’s what’s not known about data centers, that’s one issue.
“The misconceptions, I think, are just the fact that we don't have a lot of information because the facilities are fairly private and off the like off the grid," said Jonathan Frame. He’s an assistant professor of Geology at the University of Alabama.
Frame studies the issue of data centers as an assistant professor of Geology at the University of Alabama. We’ll be talking with him a lot during this story. But, first let’s hit the campaign trail with Jones and Tuberville. Both candidates are talking about data centers and tying their opponents to the issue. Jones is taking direct aim at what he says are Tuberville’s ties to these projects.
“Tuberville scare tax about China doesn't acknowledge the fact that on 14 different occasions, while a United States senator, Tommy Tuberville bought and sold stock and options in Alibaba," Jones said.
Tuberville’s campaign responded to charges that the Senator bought stock in Ali Baba, which runs data centers. They claim these buys were made by the lawmaker's broker, not by Tuberville specifically. During a conference with reporters, Tuberville says he supports data centers and that social media critics are trying to turn the public against them.
"Social media is good in some forms, but we have the Democrats and we have Chinese propaganda. Everybody out there is pushing against data centers for some reason," Tuberville said.
APR news contacted both candidates to answer further questions on the subject of data centers, but neither camp responded. We then turned to Doctor Frame to address concerns about these mega projects one by one. First is the belief that data centers will soak up local water resources.
"Well, I mean, everything is kind of interconnected. So, there's a lot. There's different regions and different states have different water rights. So there there's not one answer to that," he said.
Here in Alabama, there’s also an apparent concern of sharing water resources with agriculture. Doctor Frame admits that might be an issue.
"It depends on the state in which the water rights are granted, but in some states where you have basically free access to an aquifer's storage of water, and you're sharing that aquifer with other agricultural industries, then yes, it could," he said.
Along with water use, residents are reportedly concerned that data centers will drive up utility rates by using more energy. Cynthia Almond is the president of the Alabama Public Service Commission. She says that recent legislation establishes safeguards to protect customers from higher utility rates associated with data centers.
"These developments must not only pay their own way for the additional cost that they create, but they also must provide a benefit to the broader electric system and existing customers like you and me," she said.
Alabama Senate Bill 270 took effect on Oct. 1 and requires data centers using more than 150 megawatts of electricity to sign large-load energy contracts with the APSC. Almond says the commission closely reviews these contracts and evaluates how a facility can affect residents.
"The main thing is we want to make sure that existing customers are not left responsible for any of those investments if the development or the data center doesn't materialize as expected or later reduces its operations," she said.
Data centers continue to remain a hot topic in the race for Alabama's governor. The issue may be that voters have to make their decision at the ballot box next Tuesday, with more concerns than answers.
