U.S. Sen. Katie Britt is staking out a middle position on data centers in Alabama, arguing that communities should have the final say while rejecting both widespread development and blanket moratoriums.

In an exclusive interview with Alabama Daily News, Britt said that Alabama needs a more nuanced approach as the facilities become an increasingly contentious political issue.

“I don’t think people who want a data center on every corner [is] the right avenue,” Britt told ADN. “I don’t think people who want a full moratorium…I don’t think that that is the right avenue.”

Britt said local communities should weigh potential tax revenue against power demands and other economic development opportunities before deciding whether a project makes sense for them.

Her position comes as Alabama political leaders have become increasingly divided over how aggressively the state should pursue data center development.

Republican gubernatorial nominee U.S. Sen. Tommy Tuberville has strongly backed continued development, arguing that data centers will be necessary for Alabama’s future economic growth.

Democratic nominee Doug Jones, meanwhile, has proposed a one-year statewide moratorium while additional rules are developed.

Britt has consistently argued that the United States needs additional computing capacity to compete with China while insisting ordinary utility customers should not shoulder the resulting costs. Earlier this year, she pressed Energy Secretary Chris Wright on protecting Alabama ratepayers as electricity demand grows.

She has also backed President Donald Trump’s Ratepayer Protection Pledge, which calls for technology companies to pay for the new power infrastructure needed to serve their data centers rather than shifting those costs to existing customers.

Sawyer Knowles is a state and political reporter for Yellowhammer News. You may contact him at [email protected].