This Week in Cleantech (08/21/2026) - Data center backlash is cross-partisan

Data center proliferation is straining the U.S. power grid, creating urgent infrastructure and security challenges. OpenAI’s massive 10-gigawatt project in Ohio highlights the reliance on taxpayer-backed energy, while the broader industry faces a severe shortage of large power transformers, leaving the grid vulnerable to physical attacks. Simultaneously, a bipartisan political backlash against data centers is intensifying, moving beyond traditional NIMBYism to encompass concerns about surveillance and corporate transparency. Guest Molly Taft notes that this resistance is uniting disparate political factions, signaling a shift in how communities perceive industrial energy projects. Developers must now navigate a landscape where speculative, opaque planning is no longer viable, as grid interconnection delays and equipment bottlenecks further complicate the transition to a more robust, clean energy-powered infrastructure.