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Short Takes with Robert Reich

Are data centers really that bad?

By Robert Reich
Published August 19, 2026 at 2:12 PM PDT

Deafening noise. Extreme water use. Massive electricity consumption. And 70% of Americans don't want them built in their communities.

It is time for a moratorium on AI data centers.

Are Data Centers Really That Bad?

Short Takes with Robert Reich
Robert Reich
Robert B. Reich is Professor of Public Policy emeritus at the Goldman School of Public Policy at the University of California, Berkeley. He has served in three national administrations, including as secretary of labor under President Bill Clinton, for which Time Magazine named him one of the ten most effective cabinet secretaries of the twentieth century.
See stories by Robert Reich