As America celebrates the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence, recent polls remind us of how divided this country remains. And yet, despite these harsh numbers, it’s not as divided as polls portray.
Americans across the political spectrum are finding unexpected common ground. For example, health is becoming a powerful force reshaping traditional political alliances, with bipartisan movements to ban food additives and pesticides, expand care for veterans’ mental health, and prevent social media harms. This is a good thing, and we need more of it. Now the same may be true for energy.
Energy is witnessing a similar bipartisan consensus building. And that’s not because Republicans and Democrats suddenly agree on climate change, though a new poll shows Republicans may be more movable than previously thought. Nor have long-standing disagreements—over fossil fuels, renewables, and regulation—faded. What is changing is more practical than ideological, since America’s prosperity depends on building enough reliable, affordable, and clean energy to power the technologies and communities of the future.
How that’s done (or not done) is what’s becoming more bipartisan. The rise of artificial intelligence, a resurgence in domestic manufacturing, and increasing electricity demand are creating unusual allies across political parties and providing new fertile ground for the energy partnerships of the future.
Data centers are reshaping how energy impacts are understood
Both parties are bucking the continued growth of data center development. While the last decade of power demand in the U.S. remained relatively stable, new demand is expected to grow 2.5% annually over the next decade. That’s a lot of energy. Artificial intelligence, cloud computing, and advanced manufacturing are driving this electricity demand, forcing utilities, regulators, and policymakers to rethink how supply keeps up.
Since these data centers are sited in communities of all shapes and sizes—rural and urban, majority Republican and majority Democrat—along with their energy, water, and noise impacts, there’s new awareness among Americans as to what electricity demand can do to a community.
That impact awareness is what inspired Republican Representative Nancy Mace of South Carolina to introduce legislation calling for a moratorium on data center development, following in the footsteps of Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders and Democratic Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of New York, who introduced a similar moratorium bill earlier this year.
