Surging electricity prices and data center politics loomed large at this weekend’s National Governors Association meeting.
Governors from both parties are jockeying to attract data centers to their states, hoping for an economic boost. But they also worry about the message that sends to voters, who blame data centers for driving up the cost of electricity.
“The approach is so important,” Democratic Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear, a potential 2028 presidential candidate, said of building data centers. “Our families can’t afford any more rate increases.”
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Republican Indiana Gov. Mike Braun echoed that concern, saying that a single hyperscale data center could add an “astounding” 5 percent to his state’s energy demand.
