The sooner cities and states start negotiating adversarially with companies that want to set up infrastructure in their state, the sooner we'll all be happier with the way things work.

If you want to be a part of my community, you need to obviously be giving at least as much as you take. And none of this can be theoretical in terms of what you're offering. Theoretical == non-existent.

Virginia also has a tax on electricity, targetting data centers. https://www.forbes.com/sites/robertszczerba/2026/07/13/power...

I'm not sure what the status is, getting hard to find out amid so much noise & public coverage that's just blathering heads mostly, but, for the longest time & in many places, data centers were getting charged at industrial rates for power, which is intentionally kept super low to encourage industry. The thought that they are paying vastly less as everyone else's prices goes up is a bitter detestable situation. I am nowhere near as anti-data center as most, I want these things actually, but it feels like it's such a strong example of elite revolt, of people being totally paved over by the rich and powerful, who have so effectively managed to buy out the system of governance in so many ways.

Now this is the pragmatic solution. Very clever

Yes! Yes! Make a lot of data centers but make them build out new power renewable generation to power them.

So now every data center will have run their own wires? The city will be covered in transmission towers, wires, substations. To place new transmission wires, they’ll have to cut down some forest or demolish something.