Wyoming’s Answer to Why Data Centers

As data centers have become a national political issue, they have been accused of many things, including “breaking American politics.” However, deliberation over proposals for data center construction plays out at the community level, often with significantly more nuance. Although city and state governments are under pressure to make the local benefits of development visible, they must search for strategies that squeeze value out of these negotiations for their communities. On this episode, host Megan Nicholson is joined by Jacob Hochard, associate professor of conservation economics in the Haub School of Environment and Natural Resources at the University of Wyoming, and Caden Bogus,  a graduate research assistant and interdisciplinary master's student at the University of Wyoming, to discuss Wyoming’s position as an up-and-coming spot for data center development. Wyoming’s energy production, cool climate, affordable land, and friendly tax policies have positioned the state as an attractive spot for data centers. How this growth gets translated into gains for Wyomingites has the potential to shape the future of the industry in the state and beyond. Resources Read “How Communities Are Bargaining With Big Tech Over Data Centers” by Jacob Hochard and Caden Bogus to learn more about how communities are negotiating with data centers. How are data centers impacting the midterm elections? Check out this article by Nicol Turner Lee and Darrell M. West.