After the midterms, things are looking rocky for Elon Musk and data centers

The article discusses the impact of the 2024 U.S. midterm elections on the tech industry, particularly data centers and Elon Musk. Democrats' historic wins and the rejection of numerous local ballot measures related to data centers indicate a growing grassroots opposition to data center expansion, driven by concerns over secrecy, environmental impact, and water scarcity. Elon Musk, who donated heavily to Republicans, now faces a challenging landscape as his companies are headquartered in a state that has turned blue. The podcast participants note that anti-data center sentiment is a potent political force, and tech companies may face increased regulatory roadblocks. In response, companies like OpenAI are already adjusting policies, such as ending NDAs and rebranding data centers as "compute campuses," though this may not mitigate the underlying issues. Additionally, Wall Street's shifting enthusiasm for AI spending could further disincentivize data center construction, creating a complex environment for hyperscalers.

(Source：TechCrunch)