(Sioux Falls, SD) — Mayoral candidate Jamie Smith says data centers aren’t inevitable during a town hall on Saturday. The current state senator answered questions at the Holiday Inn in downtown Sioux Falls, sharing his thoughts on a controversial data center project on the east side of the city. He also shared opinions on data centers in general. Smith admitted that AI isn’t going anywhere and data centers will become more common, but he says that doesn’t mean they have to be in Sioux Falls. Smith says he’s hearing more and more about the negative impacts of data centers potentially outweighing the positives, especially when it comes to environment and energy costs to nearby residents.
