For years, hyperscalers built data centers confidently and quietly, assuming it was infrastructure and communities would understand and value the jobs and tax revenue. Not any more. That assumption has collapsed, as data centers became targets and opposition hardened from local resistance into electoral momentum and political liability. According to Michael Maslansky in this provocative piece, this moment is a perfect storm of three converging challenges: Anxiety over AI in the midst of an affordability crisis in the larger context of an age of rage, where mistrust of companies has never been greater. The stakes have never been higher for these companies, and Michael offers a three-step path forward for them to meet the moment.

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