writtenhouse tech

  How AI is forcing Big Tech into the energy business. Data centers aren’t the biggest problem facing AI’s growth. Electricity is. And Big Tech is trying to solve the problem by doing something unexpected: becoming Big Energy. Nearly half of American adults have now used ChatGPT, and AI is being integrated into everything we do. But the physical infrastructure required to run all that artificial intelligence is causing public outrage. About 71 percent of Americans say they don’t want an AI data center in their backyard. Communities are fighting back against proposed projects, raising concerns about land use, water consumption and, perhaps most of all, electricity costs. Politicians have noticed. Data centers have somehow become a rare 2026 campaign issue capable of making candidates from both sides of the aisle sound remarkably alike. Proposed projects are facing tougher scrutiny, new regulations, and many projects have been stalled due to public opposition and legal battles. But b...