Professor Hannah Wiseman speaks with Wisconsin National Public Radio about data centers and elections

UNIVERSITY PARK, PA—Professor Hannah Wiseman was recently interviewed by Wisconsin National Public Radio, sharing insights on voters’ increasing focus on data centers. You can read the story by clicking here.

Companies are investing massive amounts of money to build data centers for artificial intelligence, video gaming, and cloud storage and to support other parts of the digital economy. Data centers use large amounts of electricity and water, and residents in many communities oppose hosting this infrastructure in their "back yards." These sentiments are beginning to affect local, state, and federal political dialogue and are increasingly influential in elections.

“Data centers are bringing out … a broader range of concerns from community members. This is drawing growing political interest, and candidates are certainly going to get more questions about their stance on this issue,” Wiseman told Wisconsin Public Radio.

Wiseman researches and teaches in the areas of energy law, land use, and property, among other subjects, and will teach the new course "Data Center Law and Policy" in spring 2027.

Professor Hannah Wiseman is a Professor of Law, Professor in the College of Earth and Mineral Sciences, Institute of Energy and the Environment Co-funded Faculty Member, and Co-Director of the Penn State Center for Energy Law and Policy. Professor Wiseman teaches and writes in the areas of Energy Law, Property Law, Oil and Gas Law, Land Use Regulation, and Environmental Law. Her work focuses on the mechanics and design of regulation and governance in these areas. She explores the challenges of determining appropriate governance levels and fostering effective regulation that addresses externalities while enabling societally beneficial development.