Data centers are emerging as a major issue in political campaigns, putting IBEW members in the center of public debates and scrambling party politics in a critical election year.
Zoom out: More than 1,600 data centers are under construction in the United States, representing thousands of work-hours for IBEW members. But they are also flashpoints for misinformation on the state, federal and local levels.
IBEW Government Affairs staff tackled the multifaceted issue in their Construction and Maintenance Conference workshop. “Candidates and members are coming to us, and this puts us in a position to steer the message,” said IBEW Political Director Joe Zahorik.
The big picture: Data centers power cloud data, internet and connectivity for a world that is increasingly reliant on artificial intelligence. Between 45 to 70 percent of construction costs for the typical data center go to electrical subcontractors.
IBEW’s Legislative Director Erica Fein said that on Capitol Hill, lawmakers are weighing in on how data centers affect the electrical grid, and who should pay the energy bills.
Sticking to our principles: To guide elected officials, policymakers, and candidates, the IBEW released a list of data center principles to let them know where its members stand. At the top, in bold: “The IBEW is essential to the future of AI.”
“We got the most responses we have ever had from the Hill,” Fein said. “They want our opinion and we are trying to keep up,” Fein said.
For IBEW members in the construction and utility branches, data centers mean good-paying jobs in high-demand job classifications. IBEW manufacturing members are also key to the data center boom, as they make components like transformers, switchgear, and batteries.
What you can do: The IBEW created a toolkit to help members urge their congressional representative to oppose bans on data centers and support strong labor standards for these projects. Click here to participate in this campaign, which also advocates for responsible data center construction, high quality union jobs and data center owners paying their fair share to protect ratepayers.
The bottom line: For IBEW members, messaging is key, said IBEW strategist Nettie Stuckey, “The United States should be a leader in the emerging AI technology, and data centers should be built by union labor.”