Reposted from: https://www.agri-pulse.com/articles/25151-opinion-data-centers-are-the-wrong-deal-for-rural-america
A recent Agri-Pulse opinion piece argued that rural communities are blocking data centers they “desperately need.” I understand the concern behind that argument. Many small towns are struggling. Main streets have emptied. Schools have fewer students. Young people leave because they do not see a future at home.
But rural decline does not mean communities should accept any outside industry that arrives promising jobs and growth. In fact, it is exactly why rural people are right to scrutinize those promises carefully.
We have heard this pitch before.
For decades, farm country has been told that large industrial projects will bring jobs, investment and a stronger local economy. Sometimes they do create jobs. But too often, the sales pitch leaves out what residents will be asked to pay for after the ribbon-cutting is over.
Read the full op-ed by Farm Action President Angela Huffman on the Agri-Pulse website.
