Mike Rogers backs moratorium on data centers as public support sours

Michigan Republican Senate candidate Mike Rogers this week endorsed a pause on new data centers, becoming the latest politician to call for slowing down construction of these facilities.

Data centers are essentially warehouses full of storage devices to preserve information saved to the cloud. They require considerable electricity and water usage for cooling. Backlash to their construction has largely stemmed from concerns over rising energy costs and potential environmental damage.

Rogers first called for a "pause" on data centers during a Thursday campaign event.

"There is so much concern out there with Michigan citizens. My argument is that we need to walk through those issues before we just throw these things at our ... you know ... eating away at our farmland," he told NewsNation's Katie Pavlich.

"My argument is put a pause, answer these questions, and maintain local control," he added.

The Michigan Senate race is set to be one of the most competitive in the battle for the Senate in November.

Ben Whedon is the Chief Political Correspondent for Just the News. Follow him on X.