美国在过去十年中因监管和政治阻力将关键矿物和稀土产业外包，导致中国如今控制了全球九成以上的关键市场。类似的错误现在可能在数据中心建设上面临重演的风险，因为这些作为AI时代“炼油厂”的数据中心目前正面临强烈的在地反对与建设禁令的威胁。（关键数字：90）

数据中心不仅能为当地带来就业增长，还能带动数十亿美元的外资投入，进而催化变压器等先进电子设备的本土制造业。若反对数据中心建设，不仅会损害美国的GDP成长与关键技术的主导权，更会将这些发展机遇拱手让给中国等竞争对手。

面对数据中心的发展，美国不应采取全面禁止的手段，而应借由合理的法规规范其环境风险，并要求开发商承担建设干净能源与升级电网的成本，以将市场的庞大需求转化为对美国工人与社区有利的本土供应链。

Over the past decade, the US outsourced critical minerals and rare earths industries due to regulatory and political barriers, allowing China to control over 90 percent of key markets. Today, the US risks repeating this mistake with data centers, the refineries of the AI era, which are facing strong local opposition and proposed bans.

Data centers not only boost local employment but also catalyze billions of dollars in foreign investment, stimulating domestic manufacturing of advanced electrical equipment like transformers. Halting data center construction would dent GDP growth, cost the US its lead in key technologies, and hand these opportunities to competitors like China.

Rather than banning data centers, the US should regulate environmental risks and leverage their massive demand to fund clean energy and grid upgrades. This approach would channel market growth to benefit American workers and communities while building resilient domestic supply chains.