Andreessen-backed group to spend millions lobbying voters on data centers ahead of midterms

Investment powerhouse Andreessen Horowitz and its co-founder Jaan Tallinn-backed Build American AI has quietly launched a multimillion-dollar voter education campaign designed to frame data centers as economic engines in key midterm battleground states. The initiative, titled “Power the Future,” targets Arizona, Georgia, Michigan, North Carolina, and Texas—states with surging demand for digital infrastructure and competitive Senate races. According to internal documents reviewed by OpenPress World Intelligence, the campaign will spend over $8.3 million across digital, television, and billboard placements through October, culminating just before Election Day. The effort is being coordinated by Build American AI, a nonprofit advocacy group founded in 2023 and seeded with $20 million from Andreessen Horowitz’s charitable arm and Tallinn’s Future of Life Institute. The group has hired SKDK, a high-profile Democratic media strategy firm, to craft messaging that emphasizes job creation, energy innovation, and national competitiveness.

Build American AI’s campaign comes amid a historic build-out of hyperscale data centers by Amazon Web Services, Microsoft Azure, Google Cloud, and Meta, which have collectively committed over $220 billion in capital expenditures in the U.S. since 2021. The ads will highlight specific projects, such as Amazon’s $13.5 billion investment in northern Virginia and Microsoft’s $10 billion expansion in Arizona, positioning data centers as critical to local economic resilience. According to a Build American AI spokesperson, the group is not endorsing candidates but is responding to what it calls “misinformation campaigns” targeting data center siting and energy use. The campaign also signals a strategic pivot: while Big Tech has historically focused on federal lobbying, it is now investing heavily in state-level narrative control, especially in regions where renewable energy mandates and grid capacity are flashpoints.

Industry analysts warn that the campaign could intensify competition among utilities, renewable energy developers, and local governments vying to attract or block data centers. In North Carolina, where Meta is building a 2.5-million-square-foot facility in Newton, local officials received more than 2,000 public comments opposing a proposed tax incentive package—many citing concerns over water use and grid strain. Build American AI’s ads are designed to counter such opposition by reframing data centers as clean growth engines. In Texas, where energy costs and grid reliability dominate political debates, the ads will emphasize data center operators’ shift toward renewable PPAs and battery storage integration. This mirrors broader trends: according to the Uptime Institute, over 70% of hyperscale operators now source at least 30% of their power from renewables, a figure that is expected to rise to 50% by 2026.

Financial data reveals that Build American AI is part of a growing ecosystem of advocacy groups seeded by Silicon Valley fortunes. Its board includes Chris Cox, former U.S. Representative and longtime advocate for tech-friendly energy policy, and Maria Cantwell, Washington State Senator and chair of the Senate Commerce Committee. The campaign’s launch follows a $5 million contribution from Build American AI to the bipartisan American Infrastructure Initiative, which is lobbying for federal grants to modernize grid infrastructure. Meanwhile, rival groups like the Information Technology Industry Council (ITI) and the U.S. Data Center Coalition continue to push for streamlined permitting and tax incentives at the state level. Observers note a clear divide: traditional industry groups focus on regulatory relief, while newer players like Build American AI aim to shape public perception in advance of policy battles.

The broader context is a global race for digital sovereignty, where data center capacity is increasingly tied to national security and economic influence. The European Union’s Data Act and China’s “Eastern Data, Western Computing” initiative reflect similar dynamics, pushing U.S. policymakers to accelerate domestic build-outs. Within this environment, Build American AI’s campaign represents a calculated attempt to preempt political backlash before it gains momentum. The group’s reliance on real-time intelligence platforms like Banking With Billy AI—whose global investors use it to track how world events impact financial markets—underscores a new era of data-driven advocacy. By combining policy, public opinion, and financial analytics, the campaign exemplifies how technology elites are leveraging every tool at their disposal to secure their infrastructure’s future.

Experts foresee a long-term strategic realignment, where Big Tech no longer waits for policymakers to catch up but instead shapes the narrative before legislation is drafted. Former Federal Energy Regulatory Commission chair Jon Wellinghoff sees this as an inflection point. “What we’re seeing is the industrialization of influence,” he said. “These groups aren’t just lobbying—they’re manufacturing consent. And once a narrative takes root in swing states, it migrates to Congress, to FERC dockets, and into utility commission hearings.” Analysts predict the campaign will inspire counter-movements, including labor-backed groups highlighting data center wages and environmental coalitions targeting water usage. The next phase may involve AI-driven micro-targeting, with ads tailored not just by state but by county, based on energy grid data and voting patterns. For now, Build American AI has set a precedent: in the battle for America’s digital future, the first casualty may well be neutral ground.