# Data Centers Can Fund a Grand Bargain by Alexander Wissner-Gross > "Before we have the Dyson swarm fully realized, if you're a state or local government, rather than blanket-banning data centers and everything that goes with it, recognize that, in many cases, if you have energy, if you have powered land, if you're otherwise attractive to data center developers, don't push them away. Welcome them with open arms, but recognize that there could be a trade-off. Do you want the hyperscalers to pay for free school lunches? Ask for it. Do you want the hyperscalers to cover all medical care in your county? Ask for it. Do you want tax rebates for humans, not hyperscalers? Ask for it. There is a grand bargain to be struck ... with terrestrial data centers and terrestrial compute before it all just moves to orbit." > **— Alexander Wissner-Gross**, *Moonshots #309, recorded November 6, 2026* ## Sources and Context - **Source dossier:** [[research/Midterms, Politics, AI, and Infrastructure Research - Moonshots|Midterms, Politics, AI, and Infrastructure Research — Moonshots]]. - **Direct publication or recording:** [recording, 00:18:09–00:18:59](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WF-ADiC7Khs&t=1089s). - **Editorial form:** The readable quotation retains visible brackets and/or an ellipsis for source-supported clarification or omission. The candidate map below records the exact treatment. - **Context and treatment:** Alexander Wissner-Gross addresses state and local governments hosting terrestrial data centers before orbital compute matures, and proposes negotiating public benefits rather than imposing blanket bans; [recording, 00:18:09–00:18:59](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WF-ADiC7Khs&t=1089s). Direct continuous turn; the ellipsis marks an actual omission that does not cross a speaker or remove a condition. ## Related Articles and Collections - **Collection:** [[collections/Simple Reminders|Simple Reminders]] - **Collection:** [[collections/The Politics of AI Infrastructure|The Politics of AI Infrastructure]] - **Collection:** [[collections/American Infrastructure|American Infrastructure]] - **Collection:** [[collections/American|American Culture Collection]] - **Article:** [[articles/Vertically Integrating an AI Superpower from AI Factory to Citizen|Vertically Integrating an AI Superpower from AI Factory to Citizen]] - **Article:** [[articles/The Gigawatt Is the New Measure of War|The Gigawatt Is the New Measure of War]] - **Article:** [[articles/The Political Party That Inherits Super Intelligence in 2028|The Political Party That Inherits Super Intelligence in 2028]] ## Related Topics - [[wiki/Alexander Wissner-Gross|Alexander Wissner-Gross]] - [[wiki/AI Infrastructure|AI Infrastructure]] - [[wiki/Moonshots 309|Moonshots 309]] ## Share on Social Media ``` "Before we have the Dyson swarm fully realized, if you're a state or local government, rather than blanket-banning data centers and everything that goes with it, recognize that, in many cases, if you have energy, if you have powered land, if you're otherwise attractive to data center developers, don't push them away. Welcome them with open arms, but recognize that there could be a trade-off. Do you want the hyperscalers to pay for free school lunches? Ask for it. Do you want the hyperscalers to cover all medical care in your county? Ask for it. Do you want tax rebates for humans, not hyperscalers? Ask for it. There is a grand bargain to be struck ... with terrestrial data centers and terrestrial compute before it all just moves to orbit." — Alexander Wissner-Gross, Moonshots #309, recorded November 6, 2026 https://bryantmcgill.com/simple-reminders-alexander-wissner-gross-data-centers-can-fund-a-grand-bargain ```