Representative Rich McCormick, during an appearance on Bloomberg This Weekend with David Gura and Christina Ruffini on August 23, 2026, advocated for the continued expansion of data centers in the United States. He emphasized that this expansion is vital for maintaining the country's lead in artificial intelligence and that these facilities can be constructed responsibly while also providing economic benefits to their host communities.
McCormick, who also chairs the House Science, Space, and Technology Committee’s Subcommittee on Investigations and Oversight, highlighted the dual argument for data center growth: national security and competitiveness, coupled with local economic advantages. He noted that while data centers are often seen as local matters regarding zoning and permitting, the inputs they require, such as electricity, water, and semiconductors, are governed by federal policy. This creates a disconnect where national benefits are diffuse, but local costs, like construction traffic and pressure on power rates, are concentrated.
Addressing concerns about the environmental impact, McCormick pointed out that modern data centers are increasingly designed with sustainability in mind, incorporating closed-loop water systems and utilizing clean energy sources. He cited BloombergNEF projections indicating that U.S. data center electricity consumption could rise from 5.9% currently to 12% by 2030 and 20% by 2035, reaching approximately 194 GW of demand. He also suggested utilizing existing military bases for data center development to mitigate local opposition and leverage existing infrastructure.
McCormick implicitly acknowledged that some past projects may not have been built responsibly, as evidenced by his framing that future projects *can* be built responsibly. He stressed the importance of ensuring cost allocation for grid upgrades falls on developers rather than residential ratepayers, promoting water-efficient cooling designs, securing permanent job and tax-base commitments beyond the construction phase, and preventing data centers from monopolizing interconnection queues. Despite these challenges, financial markets, as of August 21, 2026, do not show signs of pricing in a policy shock to AI infrastructure spending, with the S&P 500, Nasdaq 100, and Dow 30 all seeing modest gains, suggesting investors view the buildout as a given.
Ultimately, McCormick argues that the U.S. cannot afford to slow the construction of these facilities, despite the political and local challenges. He believes that concerns about their impact, some of which he suggested might be orchestrated by foreign entities like China, are undermining America's future competitiveness in AI and related sectors, including healthcare and energy. He emphasized that the near-term decisions influencing the pace of development will occur at the state utility commissions and county boards, where local officials weigh specific costs and benefits for their communities.
