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At a recent town hall in Bakersfield, a young man raised his hand to take the mic. He spoke to the room about his concern about the rapid expansion of data centers and the strain they put on our local communities. The land they take up, the water they require to operate, and the increased electrical costs often passed on to everyday working people in the communities where these data centers are being built. When everything from our healthcare, to our groceries to our rent already costs too much, we can't afford to let unchecked big tech developments make life even more expensive. I’ve heard similar concerns from other people across the Central Valley as I’ve been on the campaign trail. I echo these concerns, and I believe Congress must do more to prioritize working people over the tech billionaires and corporate interests making money off of data centers at the expense of working families.
That’s why I support a moratorium – a minimum of one year – on the construction of new data centers in the Central Valley. During that time, Congress should act to establish clear standards that put Central Valley families, workers, and resources first. That means:
Making Big Tech pay. Data centers should pay the full cost of the electricity, grid improvements, and other infrastructure they require. Those costs should never be passed on to working families through higher utility bills.
Protecting our water. In the Valley, we know water is precious. Any new data center should come with a commitment to closed-loop cooling systems to avoid wasting gallons and gallons of water or polluting local water resources.
Guaranteeing good-paying local union jobs. Data centers should be built by American workers and local union labor here in the Valley. Before a single shovel hits the ground, workers should have a seat at the table.
Investing in our communities. Revenue from data center development should help fund our local schools, technical and apprenticeship programs, and workforce training – particularly for workers whose jobs could be disrupted by AI.
Protecting our privacy and putting guardrails on AI. The technology these facilities power cannot come at the expense of our personal information, our jobs, or our economic security. Congress needs strong rules governing how corporations collect and use our data and deploy AI.
Data centers are being proposed and built at a rate faster than Congress has acted. I believe decisions about new data centers getting built should rest with the people of the Central Valley, and our local leaders and government entities who have been leading on this issue – not tech billionaires or corporate interests who prioritize their profits over everyday people. We know our communities best.
In the Valley, we know how crucial a resource water is for both our daily lives and the agriculture that powers our local economy. Take Earlimart, where residents went weeks without reliable running water.
We’re also concerned about rising electricity costs associated with these data centers – especially as private equity firms buy up utilities to power them. We need to make sure costs that result from their increased use of power do not raise our electricity prices. My focus is on making life more affordable for Central Valley families, not adding new costs they didn't ask for.
Ultimately, the concerns and fears of everyday citizens are about more than just the physical data centers, but about what is housed within them. Their data centers use our private information and resources to power AI technology that tech billionaires and corporate interests have already started using against us: to make us pay more for groceries, deny our healthcare claims, drive up rental costs, and more.
AI can make our lives easier in some ways, but it cannot come at any cost. We have a right to control our personal information, and we have a right to control if, when, and how a new data center is built in our backyard.
Since launching my campaign, I’ve supported Artificial Intelligence policy focused on defending our data privacy, strengthening AI safety, and protecting families, children, and workers. These are concerns that cross party lines. Meanwhile David Valadao, has taken tens of thousands of dollars from pro-data center tech billionaires and corporations while voting to make it easier and faster to build data centers.
A temporary moratorium gives the Central Valley the chance to get this right before it’s too late. No data center should be allowed to raise families’ utility bills, threaten our water supply, exploit our personal data, or disrupt local jobs without strong protections and without the people of the Central Valley having a real say. Technology should work for working people, not the other way around.