AI data-centre boom meets a backlash from US voters over land, water and power, as Finland opens a criminal probe into land clearance for a Google site
Voters in 10 US states will decide on Election Day whether to limit new data centres, as concerns grow about their electricity and water use. Health worries about data centres are also featuring in midterm campaigns.
Left 0 · Centre-left 5 · Centre 2 · Centre-right 1 · Right 0
ContextSources by leanVideoDeep diveFollow the moneyMore coverage
How each side framed it
Left-leaning outlets
Left-rated outlets headline it: “US voters to decide on fate of data centers as AI boom sparks backlash” (The Independent); “Texas Data Center Boom Collides With Backlash Ahead of Midterms” (Bloomberg).
Centre outlets
Centre-rated outlets headline it: “Finnish police launch criminal probe over forest cleared for Google data center” (The Hill); “AI data center boom faces backlash at US ballot box” (Reuters).
Right-leaning outlets
Right-rated outlets headline it: “Data center health worries animate midterm campaigns” (CBS News).
Context
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Sources by lean
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Video
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Deep dive
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Follow the money
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Who owns or funds the outlets covering this story (8 outlets)
| Outlet | Lean | Ownership & funding (MBFC) |
|---|---|---|
| Bloomberg | Centre-left | Michael R. Bloomberg is the founder and majority owner of Bloomberg LP (The parent company of Bloomberg News). According to Investopedia, Bloomberg Terminal (remote software used to access financial information) is the most expensive among financial data providers. source |
| NPR | Centre-left | According to a Columbia Journalism Review article dated 2010, a large portion of NPR’s revenue comes from dues and fees paid by Member stations and corporate sponsorships. In another article by Columbia Journalism Review, they state that as of 2017, NPR receives less than 1 percent of its total funding from the Corporation for Public Broadcasting(CPB). source |
| New York Times | Centre-left | The Ochs-Sulzberger family controls the New York Times through Class B shares. Since 1967, the company has been listed on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol NYT. Class B shares are those that are held privately. source |
| The Independent | Centre-left | The Independent is owned by Independent Print Limited, a company owned by the Lebedev family (Alexander Lebedev and his son Evgeny Lebedev). In 2017, Saudi Businessman Sultan Muhammad Abuljadayel bought a 30% stake in the Independent online newspaper. Advertising and subscription generate revenue for the paper..push({}); source |
| Time | Centre-left | Time Magazine is owned by Marc and Lynne Benioff and is funded through subscriptions, sponsored content, and advertising sales. source |
| Reuters | Centre | In April 2008, the British company Reuters Group was acquired by Thomson Corporation and formed Thomson Reuters. source |
| The Hill | Centre | In 2021, The Hill was purchased by Nexstar, which owns around 200 TV stations and media outlets nationwide. The founder, chairman, president, and CEO of Nexstar is Perry A. Sook. source |
| CBS News | Centre-right | CBS News is owned by Paramount Global, which was formerly controlled by National Amusements, Inc., the holding company of the Redstone family. In 2025, Paramount entered into a merger agreement with Skydance Media, effectively ending the Redstones’ majority control. CBS News generates revenue primarily through advertising and affiliate broadcasting fees..push({}); source |