AI Industry Throws 'Pro-Data Center Party' as Backlash Over Power Costs Intensifies

A tech-industry coalition is hosting a lavish cocktail party in Washington, D.C. on September 26 to champion data center expansion, even as community opposition and state-level restrictions mount across the United States. The event, called Data After Dark, is expected to draw roughly 900 attendees—including tech workers, congressional staffers, and Trump administration officials—to PubKey in Penn Quarter, organized by tech journalist Jonas Du. The gathering features infrastructure-themed cocktails such as "Loudoun County Iced Tea" and "SMR-tini," along with a generative AI photo booth, transforming the party into a cultural flashpoint in the fierce national debate over artificial intelligence's energy footprint.