Donald Trump’s AI Order Could Cost Iowans & Georgians Big Time

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Yesterday, I covered Donald Trump’s latest effort to pretend he’s king and violate states’ rights, an AI executive order. (Apologies if he’s already tried to act like king in some other way and I’ve missed that.) The executive order tries to force fossil fuel pollution on more people, among other things.

“Last night, Donald Trump issued an executive order seeking to remove state guardrails around artificial intelligence and the infrastructure needed to run AI, including popular state-level initiatives to require data center build transparency, protect privacy, and reduce impacts on electric affordability, air pollution, and water usage,” the Sierra Club summarizes.

“The critical state protections at risk—including guardrails like large load tariffs—are in place to ensure everyday Americans are not held liable for data centers’ massive power, water and infrastructure use. Across the country, Sierra Club has helped utilities, regulators, and consumer advocates implement commonsense safeguards like long-term contracts, credit guarantees, and minimum bills that protect affordability for residential customers.”

Basically, if AI companies want to spike power demand for their billion-dollar games, they should pay the bill for that, not put it on normal everyday Americans. Furthermore, they shouldn’t be able to roll over environmental regulations and allowed to pump up pollution, even if Trump did sign an executive order saying they can. “The executive order also seeks to get rid of state standards that protect Americans from water pollution, water depletion, and toxic fossil fuel pollution at data centers. If these protections get rolled back—which Trump’s Environmental Protection Agency is already trying to do—Americans will be exposed to far more pollutants in their air and water.”

Those are all general statements on how stupid and harmful the executive order is aiming to be, but the Sierra Club also has a message for Iowans and Georgians who are particularly at risk of extra costs and pollution from this executive order.

“This executive order won’t do anything to decrease costs or protect us. Here in Iowa, we are fighting for state protections because we all have a right to privacy and transparency, and everyday Iowans should not be held responsible for the massive costs of data centers operated by the likes of Google and Microsoft,” Sierra Club Iowa Chapter Director Pam Mackey-Taylor states. “Utility bills are skyrocketing nationwide due to growing energy demand from data centers and utilities’ reliance on expensive fossil fuels—Iowa doesn’t want to be next. We care about keeping our state affordable and shouldn’t have to compete with Big Tech for water. Our state leaders must be doing everything in their power to lower these costs, prioritize affordability, and set safeguards for all of us, rather than bulldozing secret or unvetted projects through communities that are struggling to keep the lights on and keep water drinkable. We need to stand up for an affordable, livable future in Iowa.”

“This executive order is nothing more than federal overreach that will further increase costs and remove protections for the American people,” said Sierra Club Principal Advisor Jeremy Fisher. “These state protections are in place because Americans have a right to privacy and transparency, and must not be held responsible for the massive costs of data centers operated by some of the richest companies in the world. Utility bills have already been skyrocketing due to growing energy demand from data centers and utilities’ reliance on expensive fossil fuels, and we must be doing everything we can to lower these costs and prioritize affordability.”