Build More Data Centers.

I build datasets and models. Where the computing happens, what it costs and who can get access are practical questions for me. A small company still needs somewhere to run a training job, check an answer or serve a customer. I want more supply, more competition and more room for small teams to do that work here.

The scale is already substantial. Preliminary Census estimates put private data-center construction at a $96.5 billion annual pace in September 2026, about 90% above a year earlier. That is an annualized rate of construction work, not a month's spending or a count of the servers inside.¹ It means work for builders, electricians and the businesses supplying a project. The computers then support work across the economy, including scientific and industrial research.

I want Americans to have the capacity to build and run the systems they depend on. I also want smaller operators and independent developers to have a place in that economy. Plenty of the work worth doing will come from people outside the largest technology companies.

Build the power, too.

More data centers require serious planning. Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory's June 2026 update projects that data centers could account for 11.8% of U.S. electricity consumption in 2030 in its reference case. Its scenarios range from 9.5% to 15.3%. Those are projections, with assumptions about equipment, use and efficiency, rather than a measured future outcome.²

I read that as a reason to build generation and transmission, improve the grid and make connection agreements enforceable. Operators should pay for the infrastructure their projects require. Households should be able to see who is paying for an upgrade before it shows up on a bill.

Water, noise, land and electricity prices deserve specific answers. Virginia's legislative auditor found that economic benefits were concentrated heavily in construction, while water demand varied with the facility and cooling system. Its review also identified real concerns about noise and the consequences of growing electricity demand.³ A town deserves clear figures for permanent employment, temporary construction work, water use and public incentives.

Take foreign influence seriously.

There is documented foreign influence around this debate. In June 2026, OpenAI reported a covert operation using fabricated American personas to produce posts about data centers and electricity costs. Its investigators assessed that the operators likely worked for a Chinese technology company serving provincial government clients, with activity consistent with Chinese Party-state public-opinion priorities. OpenAI also reported little authentic engagement and found no evidence of meaningful spread beyond the operation's own activity.⁴

That is a concrete attempt to exploit American concerns about data centers. It deserves scrutiny, including scrutiny of connections to the Chinese Communist Party. The finding has a specific scope and limited observed reach. It does not establish that the CCP created or controls American opposition to data centers.

On September 22, 2026, Representatives Jason Smith and John Moolenaar asked Treasury and the IRS to investigate alleged foreign influence and nonprofit activity connected with data-center opposition.⁵ That is an investigation request containing allegations, not a finding that every named connection proves coordination or that a particular local campaign was funded by Beijing. I want the evidence followed and made public. A claim should remain a claim until the evidence supports more.

A neighbor asking about a transformer, a water permit or an electricity bill deserves an answer. Covert operators borrowing that neighbor's concerns deserve exposure. We should be able to take both responsibilities seriously.

Make building worth saying yes to.

I support more American data centers, more power and a permitting process that reaches decisions. I want projects judged on their actual design and enforceable commitments. That means honest employment numbers, disclosed incentives, sensible siting and a clear account of the costs a community will carry.

We can ask difficult questions and still build. We can investigate foreign influence without treating ordinary residents as foreign agents. I want this country to have the capacity to do useful work, keep its independence and give the next small company somewhere to start.