North Star Data Center Policy Toolkit: State and Local Policy Interventions to Stop Rampant AI Data Center Expansion

The AI Now Institute's policy toolkit focuses on curbing the rapid expansion of data centers, particularly at the state and local levels in the US. The core argument is that these centers have a detrimental impact on communities, consuming resources, polluting the environment, and increasing reliance on fossil fuels. The toolkit's aim is to provide strategies for slowing or stopping this expansion. The article highlights the extractive nature of data centers, suggesting a need for policy interventions to mitigate their negative consequences. The focus on local and state-level action indicates a bottom-up approach to addressing the issue.

• •The toolkit targets state and local governments.
• •The primary goal is to limit data center expansion.
• •The focus is on the negative environmental and community impacts of data centers.