# Opinion: Chris Johnson Says the Data Center Boom Is Rescuing Forgotten American Towns

The head of the American Energy Leadership Institute says candidates calling for bans overlook sales tax gains, teacher bonuses and union jobs. Every figure is his or his sources', and we have not checked them.

- Section: [Opinion](https://rightnewsrightnow.com/opinion/)
- Published: 2026-10-30
- By: RightNewsRightNow Staff
- Canonical page: https://rightnewsrightnow.com/articles/opinion-chris-johnson-data-center-boom-rescuing-forgotten-american-towns-ellendale-loudoun-richland-parish-fox-news/

In a Fox News column, Chris Johnson, founder and president of the American Energy Leadership Institute, answers politicians who want to stop new data centers.

The argument. Johnson writes that with the midterms near, data centers have become a popular political target, with some candidates calling for moratoriums or bans. He says there has been "plenty of fearmongering" and that the case for building grows as communities see the benefits. He grants that people have fair questions about electricity prices, water and quality of life, and says newer sites use closed-loop cooling and run more quietly.

The examples. He writes that Ellendale, North Dakota, population 1,100, collected about $400,000 a year in sales tax before Applied Digital's $11 billion project and $3.5 million in the first seven months of 2026, paying for road repairs, a senior center and a restored opera house. In Richland Parish, Louisiana, he says Meta's investment helped fund teacher bonuses of $10,000 to $50,000. In Loudoun County, Virginia, data centers produce 45% of county revenue, which he says allowed ten years of property tax cuts. In Henrico County, he says, the revenue funded a $60 million affordable housing trust. In Georgia, he says agreements with large customers including OpenAI are projected to lower residential power bills by $180 a year by 2029.

The jobs. Johnson says the buildout is good for tradespeople. He cites a 50% increase in membership for IBEW Local 24 in Baltimore and a doubling for IBEW Local 163 in Luzerne County, Pennsylvania, after an Amazon project.

His close. He says developers must answer residents' concerns on power and water, but that responsibly built projects bring "enormous" benefits. "Before politicians rush to stop it, they ought to take a serious look at what those communities are gaining."

The other side. The column does not address critics' evidence on power prices or water use, and the institute's funding is not described in the piece.

Note for readers: this is an argument, not a news report. A Democratic congressman's more cautious view is in our video item today.

## Source

Original reporting: [Fox News (opinion)](https://www.foxnews.com/opinion/chris-johnson-data-center-boom-rescuing-forgotten-american-towns)