No Data Centers In My Backyard: a midwest field report on the AI buildout
This event is over, it happened on
August 10, 2026 at San Francisco in San Francisco, CA
Data center opposition is the issue bringing together MAGA farmers and feminist academics, conservative NIMBYs and Bernie bros. Midwest comedians are calling it the "most bipartisan issue since beer." New York has just passed a statewide moratorium: the first in the country, but probably not the last.
Honestly, we didn't get it. So we spent 10 days road-tripping across data center sites in Wisconsin and Michigan to try and find out. We talked to residents, technicians, politicians, activists, planners, and businesspeople to learn why Americans hate them so much — water? AI anxiety? billionaires? something else? — and whether there's a way to build them right.
Join us at Notion HQ for drinks, bites, and a short presentation and Q&A. Doors/refreshments at 5:30; program from 6-7; hang out until 8. Capacity is limited so please RSVP!
— Jasmine Sun & Theo Bleier
Date:
August 10, 2026
Time:
5:30 PM
8:00 PM
Event website: https://luma.com/00ewrebj
Event type:
Uncategorized
San Francisco as a “venue” usually means the event could be in a private dining room, a historic building, or a coworking or gallery-style space somewhere in the city. Tech and founder dinners like the Junto series often use private clubs or reservation-only restaurants, with multi-course meals at shared tables and a set program. Larger mixers such as SF Climate Week happy hours tend to be in central locations with structured check-in, name badges, sponsor signage, and access to nearby paid parking garages, especially around corridors like Van Ness and downtown. more...