Politics
Democratic Senate nominee Roy Cooper proposes data center restrictions amid rising power costs
The former North Carolina governor previously championed the expansion of the high-power-demand projects, which are now being blamed for utility rate hikes.
The short version
- Democratic U.S. Senate candidate Roy Cooper has shifted his stance on data centers, calling for restrictions and demanding they fund their own energy sources.
- The policy change comes as rising consumer utility costs collide with his "make stuff cost less" campaign platform.
- The pivot stands in contrast to Cooper's tenure as governor of North Carolina, during which he heavily promoted and subsidized the growth of tech company data centers.
Key facts
- Democratic U.S. Senate nominee Roy Cooper is campaigning on proposals to limit data center expansion and require operators to pay for their own power sources to shield consumers from rising utility rates.[Fox News]
- As North Carolina governor, Cooper previously celebrated and supported the expansion of data centers for major companies including Apple, Meta, Microsoft, and Google.[Fox News]
- Cooper's administration approved Job Development Investment Grants for tech companies, including an $845 million grant over 39 years for Apple's data center development in Maiden, North Carolina.[Fox News]
- North Carolina saw a fifteen-fold increase in data center construction starting largely during Cooper's gubernatorial term, aided by tax exemptions enacted under a 2016 state law.[Fox News]
- Cooper's campaign stated that local communities should have the final say on new projects, including the authority to enact local moratoriums.[Fox News]