Data Centers & Our Community
Making sure technology serves people, not the other way around
Alabama is in the middle of a data center boom. These massive facilities, some larger than 18 Walmart Supercenters combined, store and process the data that powers artificial intelligence, cloud computing, and our digital economy. Tech giants like Meta have already invested billions in facilities in Huntsville and Montgomery, and more proposals are coming.
Data centers can bring jobs and tax revenue. But they can also strain our power grid, drain millions of gallons of water daily, threaten wildlife and clean water, and change the character of our communities, sometimes without residents even knowing until it's too late.
Right now, Bessemer is fighting a proposed 4.5 million square foot data center that would consume more electricity than the entire city of Birmingham and use as much water as two-thirds of Bessemer's population, while city officials who signed non-disclosure agreements can't even tell residents the full story.
That's not how democracy is supposed to work.
Our district sits in one of the most water-rich, biologically diverse regions in America. The Tennessee River watershed that flows through District 7 is home to 176 fish species and 89 mussel species, many found nowhere else on Earth. Alabama ranks #1 in the nation for freshwater biodiversity. This isn't just something to be proud of. It's an economic asset. Hunting and fishing generate $3.2 billion annually for Alabama and support 73,553 jobs statewide.
A single hyperscale data center can consume 2 million gallons of water per day, equivalent to what 6,700 families use. That's enough to strain local utilities, threaten downstream users, and potentially harm the ecosystems that make Alabama special. When a newly discovered fish species, the Birmingham darter, is already facing extinction because of one proposed data center in Bessemer, we need to pay attention.
These facilities also demand massive amounts of electricity. The Bessemer proposal alone would increase Alabama Power's statewide demand by 10 percent from a single facility. That kind of sudden load growth can delay the retirement of aging coal plants, strain the grid, and drive up electric rates for families and small businesses who end up subsidizing the infrastructure upgrades. Alabama Power customers already pay the highest total electric bills in the country and the highest rates in the Southeast. We can't afford to make that worse.
When data center developers come to town, they promise hundreds of jobs and hundreds of millions in tax revenue. Sometimes those numbers are real. Often, they're not.
The job creation reality: National research shows that the average data center employs between 27 and 111 permanent workers, about the same as an Olive Garden restaurant or a typical high school. A Texas study found no statistically significant net job creation from data centers. In Virginia, it costs $13 to $54 million in data center investment to create a single permanent job, compared to just $137,000 per job in other sectors. That's 100 to 168 times more expensive.
Meta's Huntsville facility, after $1.5 billion in investment, supports "over 300 jobs". That's good for those 300 people, but it's not the thousands of jobs that economic impact studies sometimes claim. Job multiplier estimates from industry-backed studies have been debunked by economists. Real multipliers are 2 to 3 jobs for every direct job created, not the 250-to-1 ratios that get thrown around.
The tax revenue reality: Property taxes from data centers can indeed help local governments, especially small towns. But Alabama gives data centers some of the most generous tax breaks in the country: 20-30 years of property tax abatements and 10 years of sales tax abatements for facilities that invest $400 million and create just 20 jobs paying an average of $40,000. We're essentially paying them to come here, and we need to make sure we're getting a fair deal for Alabama families in return.
Here's what really bothers me: In Bessemer, the mayor and city attorney signed non-disclosure agreements that prevent them from telling their own constituents the truth about what's being proposed in their community.
This isn't unique to Alabama. Across the country, in Minnesota, Wisconsin, Virginia, New Mexico, local elected officials are signing NDAs with data center developers that prevent them from disclosing even the existence of projects that will fundamentally change their towns.
When your mayor can't tell you what's happening in your own backyard, democracy has broken down.
Residents in Bessemer universally opposed the data center proposal at public meetings. The zoning commission recommended approval anyway. The city council approved it in November 2025 despite overwhelming public opposition. That's not public service. That's corporations writing the rules.
Minnesota tried to ban NDAs for elected officials considering data center projects. The bill failed on a 32-32 tie vote. I'll work to make sure Alabama doesn't allow this practice to continue. If you're asking for public tax breaks and public resources, the public deserves to know what you're planning.
I'm not anti-technology. I'm not anti-development. But I am pro-transparency, pro-community, and pro-making sure that when we make trade-offs, we do it with our eyes open and the public having a real say.
Data centers can be good neighbors, if they're done right:
If you elect me to represent you in Montgomery, here's what I'll fight for:
No elected official should be allowed to sign a non-disclosure agreement that prevents them from sharing information with the constituents they represent. If a developer won't operate in the sunshine, they don't get Alabama's tax breaks.
Before any data center receives tax abatements or permits, the developer must publicly disclose: the end user company, projected water consumption, projected energy demand, environmental impact assessments, traffic studies, and binding job creation commitments. No approvals in the dark.
Alabama needs a comprehensive state water plan. We need to know how much water we have, who's using it, and what happens when demand exceeds supply. Data centers requesting millions of gallons per day should undergo rigorous public review, and downstream communities must have a voice.
I'll push for legislation requiring that data centers pay the documented, full cost of infrastructure needed to serve them, including power generation, transmission, and water system upgrades, without those costs being shifted to residential and small business ratepayers. Alabama Power customers already pay the highest bills in the country. We won't let Big Tech make that worse.
When a development threatens endangered species or critical habitat in one of the most biodiverse states in America, we need state-level protections that go beyond waiting for federal ESA listings. I'll work with the Alabama Natural Heritage Program and conservation groups to ensure development doesn't destroy natural assets that took millions of years to create and can never be replaced.
Any data center proposed within one mile of residential areas should be required to meet strict noise limits, visual screening requirements, and minimum setbacks. Residents shouldn't have to sacrifice their quality of life and property values because a developer wants cheap land near their homes.
Tax abatements should be tied to enforceable job creation and wage commitments, with clawback provisions if companies don't deliver. No more "projected" jobs that never materialize while the tax breaks last for 20-30 years.