Why Data Centers Are Suddenly Appearing Everywhere

Alphabet, Amazon, and Meta — 3 tech giants driving the data center boom across the US — avoided $50 billion in taxes last year, per a new report. Matt Haugen, research and editorial manager of the Climate and Community Institute, speaks with Prem to discuss the organization's new report that reveals how the federal government is actively facilitating the mass proliferation of data centers across the United States. Haugen exposes how politicians and tech oligarchs use the language of national security and an "AI arms race" to make people believe that the mass buildout of data centers are "inevitable." But, Haugen points out, this "race" is focused solely on profiteering and geopolitical dominance — while everyone else is punished with hulking, voracious facilities they didn't ask for. Watch the conversation above to hear exactly how the government is forcing data centers into communities across the country — and what an alternative, populist vision can do in response. *This interview was published on zeteo.com several days ago. If you would like EARLY access to more exclusive content like this, then do head over to Zeteo’s Substack and become a paid subscriber today. It costs less than a monthly cup of coffee and goes a long way in supporting our mission of bringing fearless, independent journalism to YOU, our subscribers. Chapters: 00:00 Intro 01:10 AI First Report 09:30 Pre-calculated Data Boom? 16:10 Opportunity Cost 27:00 AI ‘Arms Race’? 32:00 Alternative Subscribe to Zeteo to support independent and unfiltered journalism: https://zeteo.com/subscribe Find Zeteo: Twitter: https://twitter.com/zeteo_news Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/zeteonews TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@zeteonews Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/zeteo.com Find Mehdi: Substack: https://substack.com/@mehdirhasan Twitter: https://twitter.com/@mehdirhasan Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/@mehdirhasan Tik Tok: https://www.tiktok.com/@mehdirhasan To advertise on the show, contact sales@advertisecast.com or visit https://