Staff Reports
Senator Dave McCormick said something simple and smart recently: let local towns decide whether they want data centers in their backyards. Speaking at a national summit, he warned that America must win the AI race with China — but not by letting CEOs or distant politicians bulldoze communities. Local control, clear rules, and real benefits for residents should come first.
McCormick’s pitch: local control, plain and simple
Senator McCormick made a direct conservative case. Data centers are powerful economic engines. They also use a lot of energy and water and can raise real quality-of-life questions for nearby residents. So instead of letting tech companies or far-off regulators decide, McCormick says township supervisors and county commissioners should get the call. That’s not anti-growth. It’s pro-community. It’s common sense to put decisions where the people live.
Five-point covenant communities should demand
McCormick laid out a neat checklist for towns that consider hosting a data center: rate protection on energy so residents aren’t priced out, closed-loop water systems to protect local supplies, clear tax terms so the deal actually benefits schools and property owners, hiring local workers to make sure the jobs stay in the community, and concrete spending on roads, bridges and schools so public infrastructure isn’t left to rot. Those are not radical demands. They are the baseline for a fair deal.
Stopping CEOs and Beijing from calling the shots
There’s a second threat beyond energy and water: power. Big tech and foreign adversaries like China both want dominance in AI. McCormick is right that computing power decides who leads. But we shouldn’t trade that leadership for secret deals or surveillance creep in the name of speed. Local covenants are a way to protect privacy, the environment, and local taxes while still building capacity to compete. If the choice is between a packed boardroom making a quiet decision and a public meeting in town hall, I’ll take town hall every time.
If Republicans mean what they say about keeping power closer to the people, this is a moment to prove it. Push covenants, protect resources, and demand real community benefits before any shovel hits dirt. America can chase AI leadership and still insist that Main Street comes first. If towns don’t want data centers, fine — but someone should answer the honest question McCormick raised: if not this, then what will replace the jobs and opportunity these projects can bring? That’s the debate locals deserve to have — not CEOs or distant bureaucrats making the call for them.
