| Big Tech companies—like Microsoft, Google, and Apple—are driving large-scale data center development across the country to fuel the AI boom. And now, those companies could benefit from tax breaks for data centers that are built in rural areas. Yes, you heard that correctly. Last weekend, WIRED’s Molly Taft reported that many rural data centers are in for a big federal tax break under a program expanded by Trump’s One Big Beautiful Bill. The program, called the opportunity zone program, rewards companies that build in select low-income areas – and under Trump’s new law, those tax breaks are even higher in rural areas. Data centers will qualify. In other words, in parts of Vermont, starting in January there’s going to be a more compelling case for building data centers. These kinds of economic development incentives can be a good idea in some cases, but when it comes to these massive data centers – which create virtually no permanent jobs despite using massive amounts of energy, water, and land – those federal dollars could well be creating far more harm than good. With more data centers than ever being built in rural America, state after state tightening their regulations on data center development, and now this Trump tax break incentivizing rural data centers specifically, it’s clear that a data center being proposed in Vermont is only getting more likely. That’s part of the reason why we’re working on the Don’t Data Center Vermont campaign with our partners at Vermont Conservation Voters. If you want to prevent Vermonters from being harmed by large-scale data center development, I hope you sign our petition. By signing, you are telling legislators and state leaders: “I am outraged that Vermont has been left unprotected from the consequences of hyperscale data center development. You must ensure that no data center is allowed to come into Vermont that would harm ratepayers and Vermont’s environment.” >>Tell Big Tech we are not for sale. Sign the petition now. |
Incoming: Rural Data Center Trump Tax Break
