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The Backstory of the Data Center Backlash
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Editors’ Blog – TPM – Talking Points Memo
In response to last week’s post about AI data centers, I got this fascinating response from TPM Reader RK.
This happened in early 2025, after the same governor pushed a sweet tax break for data center developers at end of 2024.
To be clear, I don’t think this backstory in Michigan is the totality of the data center story.
The town about 60 miles north of New York City where I do most of my woodworking was effectively destroyed by New York City about 130 years.
What makes the current data center boom and backlash distinct is that cities aren’t asking for this, certainly not in the basic infrastructure sense that tends to unite whole regions.