President Trump defended data center expansion in an Axios interview, saying data centers do not draw power from the grid and operators are building their own generation — "the most beautiful power plants you've ever seen." He added communities that oppose data centers "are making a mistake," saying they deliver jobs and economic benefits. At the state level, Texas's governor said data center operators are "digging their own graves" and has directed regulators to require data centers to fully fu

2026-08-24

President Trump defended data center expansion in an Axios interview, saying data centers do not draw power from the grid and operators are building their own generation — "the most beautiful power plants you've ever seen." He added communities that oppose data centers "are making a mistake," saying they deliver jobs and economic benefits. At the state level, Texas's governor said data center operators are "digging their own graves" and has directed regulators to require data centers to fully fund necessary power infrastructure; Pennsylvania's governor has imposed new limits on data center development; New York's governor ordered a one‑year moratorium on hyperscale data center construction. The Trump administration has relaxed some environmental requirements for data centers and urged tech firms to bear more electricity costs linked to AI build‑out.