As the Congressional Black Caucus works toward a consensus position on data centers, its members and the nonprofits they lead have brought the tech giants and utilities driving the data center boom into the discussion.
In August, the Congressional Black Caucus Institute hosted a policy conference in Mississippi and had DTE Energy's CEO speak on a panel about artificial intelligence. In September, the foundation's Annual Legislative Conference featured Meta and Microsoft executives promoting the economic benefits of data centers, and executives from utilities including Exelon and Entergy discussing energy costs and quality of life concerns. Between those events, CBC members sent their aides on a data center tour organized by the Progressive Policy Institute, a think tank funded by Big Tech giants Google, Meta and Amazon.
Caucus members are trying to reach a consensus on data center policy before the next Congress begins in January, according to attendees at the foundation’s September conference who spoke to CNBC. The discussion comes as the caucus weighs the economic opportunities of AI and data center construction with concerns about energy costs, environmental impacts, and effects on Black communities. Democrats are hoping to win control of the House and Senate in November, which would give the caucus's 62 members more say over legislation.
