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Sanders, AOC propose halt on new AI data centers

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Published  March 25, 2026 10:31am EDT
Bernie Sanders
FOX 5 DC

The Brief

    • Sen. Bernie Sanders and Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez introduced a bill to pause new AI data center construction until national protections for workers, consumers, and the environment are in place.
    • The moratorium could halt development for years, as Congress has not yet passed comprehensive AI regulations.
    • The issue is especially significant in the D.C. region, where data center expansion is rapidly growing and sparking local debates in Northern Virginia and Maryland.

WASHINGTON - Sen. Bernie Sanders and Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez are announcing the Artificial Intelligence Data Center Moratorium Act, a bill aimed at blocking construction of new data centers in order to implement protections for the environment and surrounding communities. 

What we know:

The bill would stop new AI data center construction across the country until "strong national safeguards" are implemented. 

"AI and robotics are creating the most sweeping technological revolution in the history of humanity. The scale, scope, and speed of that change is unprecedented. Congress is way behind where it should be in understanding the nature of this revolution and its impacts," said Sanders in a statement. 

The bill would mean no new AI data centers would be built until Congress passed legislation to establish protections for workers, consumers and the environment. But Congress is far from passing any AI legislation, meaning construction could be on hold for years if the bill were to pass. 

Local perspective:

Data center development in the D.C. area is a hot-button item, with Northern Virginia seeing the highest concentration of data centers in the country. 

Data center divide: DMV residents push back against plans to develop more centers across the region

Data center divide: DMV residents push back against plans to develop more centers across the region

Residents across the DMV are continuing to push back on data center development in the region. FOX 5's Katie Barlow and Shirin Rajaee have team coverage tonight as court battles and community debates are underway in Prince William County and Montgomery County tonight. 

In Northern Virginia, the industry is pushing beyond its traditional hub in Loudoun County into Prince William and Fairfax Counties. High-profile battles have emerged in Bristow, where planning officials recently rejected a substation meant to power new facilities, and in Fairfax, where leaders are debating selling public land to developers to bolster the county budget. 

Meanwhile, Maryland is positioning itself as a major competitor, with Governor Wes Moore's administration streamlining regulations to attract billions in investment. However, this push has sparked significant backlash in Frederick County, where a grassroots campaign successfully gathered over 22,000 signatures for a referendum on data center zoning, and in Prince George’s County, where a task force recently recommended much tighter restrictions to protect residential areas and the electrical grid.

Bernie SandersVirginiaAlexandria Ocasio-CortezMaryland