As America’s midterm elections approach, the data centres powering America’s AI expansion are becoming a political flashpoint. A new proposal in Washington would require them to cover the additional electricity infrastructure costs they create.
President Donald Trump champions their expansion, and supporters point to investment and America’s technological future. But Arizona’s attorney general has called for a pause on new approvals amid concerns about water and electricity demand. The heat produced by a single data centre can surpass the amount emitted by 40,000 households.
The BBC’s North America correspondent Shaimaa Khalil travelled to Arizona to hear from residents who live alongside these giant facilities.
