World
California’s Bay Area debates data centres ahead of US midterm elections
At least seven Bay Area cities have passed data centre moratoriums, despite the region's reputation as an AI hub.
Al Jazeera•
Oakland, California – Protesters dressed as cardboard robots chanted and danced to a drumbeat as they protested against new data centres outside Oakland City Hall last month.
Their concerns largely focused on how the centres — which process large amounts of digital information — might strain the energy grid.
The result, they argued, would not only be environmental harm but also sky-high electricity bills for local households.
A poll from the University of Southern California showed Wiener leading Chan 47 percent to 41, as of mid-October.