government
Governors' races are being increasingly buffeted by the toxic politics of data centers
Summary by The Piney Point Editorial Desk Marc Levy, Associated Press , as published by KPRC 2 / Click2Houston (NBC)
· August 18, 2026
· 1 min read
Photo: KPRC 2 / Click2Houston (NBC) · view original
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Summary created by The Piney Point Editorial Desk — automated, rule-governed Byline on source page Marc Levy, Associated Press, as published by KPRC 2 / Click2Houston (NBC) Original story Read at the source Source published Aug 18, 2026 Indexed here Aug 18, 2026 AI assistance Automated summary drawn from the source’s own published text Prepublication human review No — editorial rules, flagged-item review, and published samples
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Key points Josh Shapiro recently announced that his administration will no longer prioritize data center projects for construction permits or tax exemptions unless they meet certain standards. Governors' races are being impacted by the growing controversy surrounding data centers.
Governors' races are being impacted by the growing controversy surrounding data centers. As midterm elections approach, public opinion is turning against these energy-intensive facilities, which are being built by tech giants and developers to support artificial intelligence and cloud computing. More governors are changing their positions or taking steps to restrict data centers.
This backlash is affecting gubernatorial races in several large states. Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro recently announced that his administration will no longer prioritize data center projects for construction permits or tax exemptions unless they meet certain standards.
Further details on the shifting landscape of data center policies are available from the source, including specific requirements for developers to qualify for permits and exemptions.
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KPRC 2 / Click2Houston (NBC) reported and published this story. The Piney Point selected it, summarised the key facts above, and links to the original. We did not report this story and we added no reporting of our own to it.
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Category: government Published: August 18, 2026 Source: KPRC 2 / Click2Houston (NBC) Reading time: 1 min
Frequently asked about this story
What is this story about? Governors' races are being impacted by the growing controversy surrounding data centers. As midterm elections approach, public opinion is turning against these energy-intensive facilities, which are…
When was this published? This article was first published on August 18, 2026 by KPRC 2 / Click2Houston (NBC) and curated for The Piney Point readers.
Who reported this story? This story was reported by Marc Levy, Associated Press at KPRC 2 / Click2Houston (NBC). To learn more about how The Piney Point selects and reviews stories, see our editorial standards .
Where can I find related coverage? See more government coverage from The Piney Point, or browse our daily briefing and topic hubs .
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