Before Massachusetts attracts more data centers, other states sound a warning
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Elon Musk's xAI recently built a huge data center in Memphis
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At the White House, the Trump administration released a
'We need to build and maintain vast AI infrastructure and the energy to power it,' the report said. 'To do that, we will continue to reject radical climate dogma and bureaucratic red tape, as the Administration has done since Inauguration Day. Simply put, we need to 'Build, Baby, Build!''
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In Virginia, which has
'We know that the customers, the utility customers that are not data centers, are going to be subsidizing the electrical infrastructure for the richest companies in the world,' Bolthouse said.
Massachusetts has
But last year's economic development legislation exempted data centers from 'sales and use' taxes in an effort to attract more of the facilities to the state. And
Markey acknowledged the importance of building data centers to support AI, but said the effort needs to take into account local concerns and protect the environment.
'AI has the potential to offer real public benefits ... but those benefits cannot come at the unchecked expense of our environment and our health,' Markey said at Wednesday's event.
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He also criticized the Trump
administration for cutting subsidies for solar and wind power. Big tech companies had been supporting such projects to power their data centers. 'Our environment doesn't have to be a sacrificial lamb on the altar of innovation, Markey said. 'We can have green growth.'
Aaron Pressman can be reached at
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