A conservative energy advocate is warning Republicans not to fall for what he calls the Left’s “data center scare tactics,” urging the Right to embrace the industry rather than borrow from progressive talking points as the midterms approach.
In a column published by The Daily Wire, Daniel Turner, founder and executive director of Power The Future, a nonprofit that advocates for American energy jobs, argued that data centers are an economic boon and essential for national security and quality of life.
“Data centers are good. They are a boon for the economy and essential for national security and quality of life,” Turner wrote. “You are reading this column because of data centers. You can share this article on social media because of data centers.”
Energy Production and the Ratepayer Protection Plan
Turner praised President Trump’s “Ratepayer Protection Plan,” which he says allows tech companies to build their own power plants—a first for private industry. According to Turner, this policy enables industries with high energy demands to generate their own electricity, reducing strain on the grid and benefiting entire communities.
Turner quoted Trump: “The data centers now are mandated by me that they build their own electricity, so they’re not taking it from the grid. It’s going to lower the cost of electricity.”
Jobs and Tax Revenue
Turner emphasized that data centers are private construction projects funded with private dollars, creating hundreds of thousands of construction jobs. He contrasted them with what he called “Keynesian, centrally planned boondoggles” like California’s high-speed rail project.
He also highlighted tax revenue benefits, citing Loudoun County, Virginia, which he says brought in $1.3 billion in tax revenue from data centers while reducing local property taxes by 30%. In Louisiana, a school district is reportedly giving teachers $50,000 bonuses thanks to a Meta data center project.
Criticism of the Left
Turner accused progressives of hypocrisy, noting that while they cite affordability concerns, they pushed to close over 100 coal and natural gas plants under the Biden administration. He referenced a white paper titled “The Looming American Electricity Affordability Crisis” that his organization prepared for the incoming Trump administration.
He also claimed that Biden spent “tens of billions” to purchase farmland for wind and solar projects, which he described as a “bird-killing hellscape” using technology purchased from China. Turner argued that the Left’s opposition to data centers is rooted in the failure of their own agendas, not genuine concern for rural America.
“This is exposure is why the Left opposes data centers. Their agenda failed: green energy mandates failed the grid, outsourced jobs failed the economy, endless immigration failed the nation,” he wrote.
National Security Concerns
Turner also pointed to threats from China, citing an Axios headline from this summer that warned “China just erased America’s AI lead.” He argued that halting data center construction would cede the AI race to Beijing.
Property Rights and Political Courage
Turner shared an anecdote about a 7th-generation Virginia farmer who wept over an 8-figure check from a data center developer, describing it as “a gift from God.” He criticized politicians who issue moratoriums on data center development as denying landowners their property rights.
“The nerve of a governor or a politician to issue a ‘moratorium’ out of political cowardice and deny someone the right to sell their land,” Turner wrote. “That is about as un-American as it can get.”
A Call to Conservatives
Acknowledging polls that show public skepticism toward living near data centers, Turner urged politicians to address constituent concerns but not to abandon a good issue due to what he sees as liberal propaganda.
“Politicians need to understand the concerns of their constituents, but do not run from a good issue because the Left pours money into scare tactics and media propaganda,” he wrote.
Turner concluded by warning that conservatives who adopt the Left’s talking points are doomed to fail, saying, “Anyone using their talking points should have their head examined, and their conservative credentials revoked.”
The column comes as data center development has become a contentious issue in several states, with local debates over land use, energy demand, and tax incentives.
Source: www.dailywire.com — https://www.dailywire.com/news/why-conservatives-shouldnt-fall-for-the-lefts-data-center-scare-tactics