Sanders and AOC Want to Halt New AI Data Center Construction

Senator Bernie Sanders and Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez introduced the AI Data Center Moratorium Act on April 5, 2026, which would immediately pause all new AI data center projects in the United States.

The bill requires Congress to establish regulations for AI certification, job protection, environmental safeguards, mandatory union labor, and chip export restrictions before new data center projects can be approved.

The backdrop is that AI investments in Q1 2026 exceeded $242 billion, and the rapidly growing energy consumption of AI data centers could lead to a US power shortfall of up to 25% by 2028.

The bill faces strong opposition from the tech industry, which argues it would weaken US competitiveness against China. Analysts are divided on whether it will gain enough Congressional support, but it highlights a growing political tension around the energy consequences of AI growth.

For companies like Wenaas, this is relevant to monitor: global AI infrastructure restrictions could affect pricing and availability of cloud-based AI services in the long term.