American Infrastructure Alliance Launches Labor-Business Coalition for Data Center Development
The American Infrastructure Alliance (AIA) has launched a nationwide coalition of labor and business groups to advocate for responsible data center development. The initiative aims to establish state and local guidelines for infrastructure growth.
The American Infrastructure Alliance (AIA) has established a new nationwide coalition bringing together labor and business organizations to advocate for responsible data center development. The group intends to create state and local guardrails focused on protecting water resources, managing energy costs, and ensuring communities benefit from data center investments.
Founding members of the coalition include major labor unions such as the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW) and the United Association of Union Plumbers and Pipefitters (UA), alongside technology and real estate firms like QTS, SoftBank, OpenAI, Blackstone, and Digital Realty. AIA aims to foster coordination between industry, labor, local communities, and policymakers to support long-term data center investments.
The coalition plans to develop common-sense standards grounded in local conditions, rather than a universal template. AIA will support discussions among policymakers and communities to build clear frameworks for data center growth. These frameworks are intended to protect natural resources, enforce accountability, create high-wage local jobs, and deliver benefits to communities.
"Data center development represents a critical opportunity for the U.S. to lead by building, investing, and creating skilled, high-paying jobs here at home," stated Michael Coleman, General President of SMART. According to AIA, its own polling indicates public support for data center development shifts positively once enforceable guardrails are proposed and detailed.