Jon Hansen

On concerns about hyperscale data centers

What concerns do South Dakota citizens have about hyperscale data centers? South Dakotans from Sioux Falls, Rapid City, to Toronto. East River and West. The largest cities to the smallest farming communities have shown up in record numbers to make their voices heard. Their concerns are simple and reasonable. They don't want their electric bills to go up to power billion-dollar tech operations. They don't want their water supply strained at the expense of farmers and families who depend on it. They don't want noise and disruption moving into quiet, rural communities. And they don't want Pierre overriding their local government's right to say no. This isn't anti-business. This is South Dakotans standing up for South Dakota.

How they’d address those concerns

As House Speaker, I was the prime sponsor of SB 135 "The Data Center Bill of Rights for Citizens" and I helped kill the 50-year tax giveaway that would have had hardworking South Dakotans subsidizing the world's wealthiest tech corporations. As governor, my position is straightforward: if hyperscale data centers come to South Dakota, communities come before corporations. Your water rates won't go up. Your electric bills won't go up. I wrote and passed that law to make sure of it. However, we need to be vigilant so our life, land, and liberty of communities are first. I'll always stand up for the people of our great state, not the special interests and big money.