Michael Smerconish: Experts Debate: Data Center Pros and Cons You need to know about. DATA CENTERS BUILD OR BAN

Oct 13, 2026

Build or ban? Here’s what every citizen should know before a giant AI data center gets built in their community. Debating the benefits and dangers of developing AI data centers in this episode of “Can We Agree?”: Brian O’Neill, a Pennsylvania developer aiming to build $18 billion of data centers in the suburbs. He says one of his projects will pay over $30 million a year to the township’s school district. That’s $109,000 per teacher and $8,827 per student. He also makes the case for improved technology and providing high-paying community jobs that don’t even require a high school degree. Abre’ Conner is director of the NAACP’s Center for Environmental and Climate Justice and is leading its federal lawsuit against Elon Musk’s xAI over the gas turbines powering a massive data center near Memphis. She says jobs cannot justify harm.

What can they agree on? Is there a “right” way to build a data center? How reliable are claims about emissions and closed loop systems? What is the actual impact on communities, both environmentally and financially? Nobody leaves until they agree. “Can We Agree?” is the program that asks whether two brilliant minds from opposite corners of an argument can find any common ground on the questions that matter most to Americans today.

Subscribe to the Smerconish YouTube channel to never miss an episode: / @michaelsmerconish Watch more “Can We Agree?” https://www.youtube.com/show/VLPLArM1…00:00 AI Data Centers: What’s at stake? 04:50 Is this just what change looks like? 07:25 How to AI data centers impact communities? 09:07 Counter-arguments for AI data centers 09:48 What if data centers met all emission standards? 12:42 Data center emissions in focus 14:42 Are there developers who build data centers “right”? 22:19 How does America win the AI race without data centers? 22:38 Defining community and who represents them 24:44 Are arguments against data centers “anti-business”? 29:05 Listeners share their views on data centers 32:58 What about the revenue? 34:12 How much money can data centers bring to communities? 37:56 Jobs and data centers 52:15 Will activists take “yes” for an answer if developers meet objectives? 53:37 Can We Agree?

About michelleclarke2015

Life event that changes all: Horse riding accident in Zimbabwe in 1993, a fractured skull et al including bipolar anxiety, chronic fatigue …. co-morbidities (Nietzche 'He who has the reason why can deal with any how' details my health history from 1993 to date). 17th 2017 August operation for breast cancer (no indications just an appointment came from BreastCheck through the Post). Trinity College Dublin Business Economics and Social Studies (but no degree) 1997-2003; UCD 1997/1998 night classes) essays, projects, writings. Trinity Horizon Programme 1997/98 (Centre for Women Studies Trinity College Dublin/St. Patrick's Foundation (Professor McKeon) EU Horizon funded: research study of 15 women (I was one of this group and it became the cornerstone of my journey to now 2017) over 9 mth period diagnosed with depression and their reintegration into society, with special emphasis on work, arts, further education; Notes from time at Trinity Horizon Project 1997/98; Articles written for Irishhealth.com 2003/2004; St Patricks Foundation monthly lecture notes for a specific period in time; Selection of Poetry including poems written by people I know; Quotations 1998-2017; other writings mainly with theme of social justice under the heading Citizen Journalism Ireland. Letters written to friends about life in Zimbabwe; Family history including Michael Comyn KC, my grandfather, my grandmother's family, the O'Donnellan ffrench Blake-Forsters; Moral wrong: An acrimonious divorce but the real injustice was the Catholic Church granting an annulment – you can read it and make your own judgment, I have mine. Topics I have written about include annual Brain Awareness week, Mashonaland Irish Associataion in Zimbabwe, Suicide (a life sentence to those left behind); Nostalgia: Tara Hill, Co. Meath.

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