Meta says its data centers are bringing jobs to agricultural areas.
That’s the thrust of ads that we spotted the Big Tech company posting online and airing in several TV markets, even as energy costs rise and many voters blame the electricity-hungry facilities.
“When work started to slow down, we searched for new opportunities,” says one spot. “We welcomed Meta, which opened a data center in our town.”
The ad takes place in Altoona, Iowa, though it’s actually airing in Washington, D.C.; Sacramento, Calif.; Baton Rouge, La., and other media markets. Those areas make it a perfect ad to reach Congress, California lawmakers and the Louisiana-based House GOP leaders.
The ads are also running in Boston, Austin and Richmond. Another spot focused on Los Lunas, N.M.
Meta is also showing the spots extensively on its own Facebook and Instagram services.
Big Data. Big Tech as a whole is ramping up its talk about data centers. Meta, for instance, has spent the last few weeks touting its plans to invest $600 billion in the United States, mostly in data centers, and its plan to add 15 gigawatts to the grid through electricity projects.
Those data centers come with policy challenges. We told you recently how the tech industry is hoping the Hill will advance changes to federal permitting and electricity transmission because they know their power demands could triple in coming years.
There’s some evidence of a backlash to the data centers too, particularly with residential electricity prices up about 6% nationwide but double-digits in some states.
Democratic Virginia Gov.-elect Abigail Spanberger ran on getting the commonwealth’s many, many data centers to pay up. Democratic New Jersey Gov.-elect Mikie Sherrill, who will soon leave the House, talked about a rate freeze.
Democrats say it’s basic market math: Big Tech’s demands for power are the obvious cause of price increases.
“As evidenced by the newly-elected leaders last week who won by calling out Big Tech’s starring role in America’s affordability crisis, voters have drawn the connection between Big Tech and the broken status quo,” said Sacha Haworth, a Big Tech critic who is executive director of the Tech Oversight Project. The group spotted the digital placements.
Republicans have blamed the increases on Democratic energy regulations.
Companies have eagerly cited recent government research that argued AI facilities actually take costs off of households’ bills because the projects support expensive energy infrastructure.
