The Hum

Conflict is brewing in Virginia, the data center capital of the world over a proposal for a merger to create a new utility monopoly. NextEra Energy, a large electric utility in Florida, wants to take over Dominion Energy, a dominant electric provider in Virginia, with the stated goal of building more AI data centers. Experts Julie Bolthouse, of the Piedmont Environmental Center and Shelby Green of the Energy Policy Institute break down what is proposed, why, and what is at stake.  

**11/3/26 Note: We’re taking a short travel break to interview Indigenous leaders fighting a Tik Tok data center on the ground in northeast Brazil and will be back in a few weeks. Upcoming episodes will include dispatches from Brazil, a coffee shop chat in Indiana, and a road trip through Michigan. In the meantime, if you’ve been enjoying the show, don’t forget to give us a verbose five star review wherever you stream your podcasts.**

Message us on Instagram @thehumpod to get connected to resistance in your state or country. 

Learn more about the Piedmont Environmental Council’s work and check out the Energy and Policy Institute’s overview of the merger as well as Clean Virginia’s fact sheet. 

Read the recent mention of The Hum in the New York Times. Listen to Saul’s interview on the Tech Won’t Save Us podcast. 

The Hum is produced in partnership with Rowhome Productions.

Dekalb County, Georgia community leader Gina Mangham joins The Hum to break down the successful playbook she and her neighbors have developed to notch several wins against big tech already, and discuss what’s next. Gina powerfully rejects critiques of NIMBYism, discusses her community’s alternative vision, and asks how many AI data centers we really need. 

Message us on Instagram @thehumpod to get connected to resistance in your state or country. 

Learn more about the Dekalb Resistance on their website or social media. 

Read the recent mention of The Hum in the New York Times. Listen to Saul’s interview on the Tech Won’t Save Us podcast. 

The Hum is produced in partnership with Rowhome Productions. 

Pamela Griffin got to know her neighbor Carrie D’Anna when she placed flyers about an incoming data center on Pamela’s front door. The two moms, now friends and leaders in a high energy fight for the future of their small town of Taylor, Texas, join The Hum to tell gripping stories of planted “community members,” disability justice, and promises made to elders before.  

Message us on Instagram @thehumpod to get connected to resistance in your state or country. 

Follow the Taylor resistance on Facebook and Instagram. 

Read the recent mention of The Hum in the New York Times. Listen to Saul’s interview on the Tech Won’t Save Us podcast. 

The Hum is produced in partnership with Rowhome Productions. 

When Maryland’s governor failed to act on data centers, residents took matters into their own hands. Melissa Emmal of Calvert County, MD and Mike Tidwell of the Chesapeake Climate Action Network talk about how Marylanders were able to win moratoriums or bans on data centers covering 80% of the state population, including by voting out local officials cozy with industry.  

Message us on Instagram @thehumpod to get connected to resistance in your state or country. 

Sign up for the November 7th People Over Data Centers summit in Baltimore. Also check out Melissa’s social media posts and the CCAN response to Wes Moore’s recent actions. 

Read the recent mention of The Hum in the New York Times. Listen to Saul’s interview on the Tech Won’t Save Us podcast. 

The Hum is produced in partnership with Rowhome Productions. 

Key elected officials Davante Lewis (Louisiana), Peter Hubbard (Georgia), and Emily Gallagher (New York) chat with Saul live about the challenges, pressures, and opportunities of public service amidst the rapid pace, widespread corruption and secrecy of AI data center buildout. 

Message us on Instagram @thehumpod to get connected to resistance in your state or country. Send us stories and key dates coming up so we can share them out.

Read the recent mention of The Hum in the New York Times. Listen to Saul’s interview on the Tech Won’t Save Us podcast. 

The Hum is produced in partnership with Rowhome Productions. 

Data centers can’t be understood without looking beyond borders - not a single US AI data center is made entirely with American parts and labor. Former US Trade Representative and member of the Biden cabinet Katherine Tai and leading national trade expert Beth Baltzan discuss the role of supply chains, trade deals, tariffs, and economics in shaping the data center buildout and resistance. They also weigh in on chips, China, and dangers of AI. 

Message us on Instagram @thehumpod to get connected to resistance in your state or country. Send us stories and key dates coming up so we can share them out.

Learn more about Katherine and Beth’s current work at the Coalition for New Trade and read their new report on digital trade.

Read the recent mention of The Hum in the New York Times. Listen to Saul’s interview on the Tech Won’t Save Us podcast. 

The Hum is produced in partnership with Rowhome Productions. 

University of Michigan PhD student Nathan Kim talks about how he and other students discovered that their university’s proposed AI data center was being built to make weapons of war, how they’re fighting back, and the overlaps with his research on AI and big tech. 

Message us on Instagram @thehumpod to get connected to resistance in your state or country. Send us stories and key dates coming up so we can share them out.

Read the recent mention of The Hum in the New York Times. Listen to Saul’s interview on the Tech Won’t Save Us podcast. 

The Hum is produced in partnership with Rowhome Productions. 

In Bastrop Texas, 8-year-old twins Oslo and Ivan organized a march against a proposed data center near their school. The twins and their mom Holly call in from their farm to talk about how the poster Oslo drew and put up inspired 100 people to join the protest, including many friends and parents from school.

Message us on Instagram @thehumpod to get connected to resistance in your state or country. Send us stories and key dates coming up so we can share them out.

Check out Oslo’s poster and the twins’ promo video.

Read the mention of The Hum in the New York Times from 8/31. Listen to Saul’s interview on the Tech Won’t Save Us podcast. 

The Hum is produced in partnership with Rowhome Productions. 

Katie Thomas, an energy and climate expert who once led Senator Bernie Sanders’ climate team, walks us through example local policies passing on data centers across the US. Katie shares her tracker and gives a menu of options and ideas so any community can be prepared to fight back. 

Message us on Instagram @thehumpod to get connected to resistance in your state or country. Send us stories and key dates coming up so we can share them out.

Check out Katie and Graham’s data center policy report, database of examples, and green bonds report with We Build Progress.

Join Saul and Bryce from Indiana Citizen Action for a public data center event in Bridgeport Chicago 9/8 at 7pm at the Mouse Arts and Letters Club. 

Read the mention of The Hum in the New York Times from 8/31. Listen to Saul’s interview on the Tech Won’t Save Us podcast. 

The Hum is produced in partnership with Rowhome Productions. 

Drew Small’s family business running Facebook ads for Nashville musicians from his basement was already being hampered by AI when a data center project was announced in town. We hear Drew’s gripping story of winning a moratorium and protections by partnering with a motley crew of neighbors and public librarians. 

Message us on Instagram @thehumpod to get connected to resistance in your state or country. Send us stories and key dates coming up so we can share them out.

Check out the Nashville bill that passed and the No New Data Centers page. 

Read the mention of The Hum in the New York Times from 8/31. Listen to Saul’s interview on the Tech Won’t Save Us podcast. 

The Hum is produced in partnership with Rowhome Productions.