The midterms are an energy election — and here are five places to look
Scratch the surface of the year's biggest stories — the Iran war and AI — and both are bound up in the costs of energy . Why it matters: Prices for gasoline, diesel and power are playing a prominent role in some of the tightest races for control of Congress. The war has kept gasoline prices way above $4 per gallon for months, and helped push diesel to record highs. Fairly or unfairly, data…
The midterms are proving to be an energy-focused election across several key battleground states. In Michigan, high power prices have driven a Republican push to ban data centers and diesel exports, while the Democratic candidate advocates for community buy-in and clean energy. In Ohio, a heated debate between Republican and Democratic candidates revolves around who bears the burden of covering the costs of data centers and the necessary infrastructure upgrades.
In Alaska, the Iran war is exacerbating the issue of rising fuel prices, with Democrats linking the high costs to Republican support for the war and Republicans advocating for increased domestic energy production. In Colorado's 8th congressional district, the outcome may hinge on the impact of recent data center legislation and the political fallout from a controversial vote on the issue.
Finally, in Pennsylvania's 8th district, an ongoing battle between Republicans and Democrats centers on data center development and its potential effects on electric bills, water supplies, and local government control over costs.
Written by urgent.news from Axios's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
