In the United States, data centers are facing growing opposition to new construction due to concerns about increased power consumption, higher electricity bills for residents, water usage, noise, and environmental issues.
-> Some state and local governments are delaying permits or strengthening regulations for new data centers.
Data center construction is providing high-paying jobs for electricians, plumbers, welders, cooling system technicians, and construction workers, leading labor unions to emerge as strong supporters of data center construction.
Notably, labor unions are going beyond traditional party affiliations and starting to evaluate politicians based on their stance on data center construction.
- In Kansas, a union representing HVAC and railroad workers even endorsed a Republican candidate over a Democratic candidate who opposed data center construction.
With midterm elections approaching, it will be interesting to see what choices politicians make between local residents' discontent and labor union demands.
Anyway, the emergence of a force that could help ease data center regulations in the US seems like good news for Samsung/Hynix.
▶ Original source: https://www.wsj.com/economy/jobs/blue-collar-jobs-are-the-new-flashpoint-in-data-center-fight-aaca5b7e
