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Cato Institute will host a policy forum on July 1 at 1

2026-06-23 · 23:00 UTC ·@CatoInstitute ·0 min read

Brief

Cato Institute announced a policy forum (published June 23, 2026) for July 1 at 1:30 p.m. EDT featuring Cato and Institute for Progress experts—@ts_fisher, @jrhuddles, @BenSchifman, and @JuanMLondonoR—to assess whether local and federal backlash to data-center construction is justified, focusing on electricity, water consumption, and AI impacts.

Why it matters

Cato Institute will host a policy forum on July 1 at 1:30 p.m. EDT to evaluate growing pushback against data center construction and its role in technology and innovation.

Key details

  • Panelists named are @ts_fisher (Director of Energy and Environmental Policy Studies, Cato Institute), @jrhuddles (Senior Fellow, Cato Institute), @BenSchifman (Senior Technology Fellow, Institute for Progress), and @JuanMLondonoR (Policy Analyst, Cato Institute).
  • The forum will examine critics' specific complaints about data centers' electricity and water use and concerns about artificial intelligence's societal impact.
Source evidence

Data center construction is facing a wave of pushback, from local city councils to the halls of Congress. Is this backlash justified by the facts? Cato’s policy forum will explore the critical role data centers play in technology and innovation.

It will also examine how to address key concerns at the heart of critics’ complaints, from electricity and water use to concerns about the impact of artificial intelligence on society.

Featuring:
🔹 @ts_fisher, Director of Energy and Environmental Policy Studies, Cato Institute
🔹 @jrhuddles, Senior Fellow, Cato Institute
🔹 @BenSchifman, Senior Technology Fellow, Institute for Progress
🔹 @JuanMLondonoR, Policy Analyst, Cato Institute

Join us on July 1 at 1:30 p.m. EDT: ow.ly/yZGY50ZfTvv