Free Resources
As you prepare for each upcoming Public Forum Topic, visit this page for an updated topic breakdown video lecture, write-up, and downloadable topic brief.
Septober 2026 Public Forum Topic: Resolved: The United States federal government should enact a moratorium on hyperscale data center construction.
First off, make sure you understand the parts of the resolution. A moratorium is essentially a pause in activity, and hyperscale data centers are just regular data centers on steroids, meaning that they have the capacity for a lot of computing. So in other words, the resolution is asking whether or not the government should stop creating massive data centers. Make sure to keep in mind, however, that the moratorium only applies to hyperscale construction. We’re just not making more, but we aren’t getting rid of existing hyperscale data centers.
On the PRO side, the strongest arguments cluster around the idea that hyperscale construction is outpacing the infrastructure meant to support it. We can hammer home three big impact areas: the grid (look to Virginia for examples of blackouts and transmission congestion), water (cooling these facilities can use millions of gallons a day), and inequality (construction causes noise, disruption, and utility bill hikes in many lower-income and rural communities). So if you’re PRO, your job is to convince the judge that hitting pause now is what we need to catch up; otherwise, hyperscalers will overwhelm our systems in place.
On the flip side, the CON will very frequently be arguing that a moratorium is not as simple and temporary as it seems. Instead, CON will assert that hyperscale data centers are the very backbone of AI development, with a moratorium causing ripple effects ranging from losing the AI race with China, slowing down on research and development, and pushing data center development abroad. One other consideration for many CON teams is the federalism argument: states and local governments are arguably in a better position to judge what their own grid and water supply can handle than the federal government is, meaning a federal moratorium would just introduce unnecessary gridlock.
Ultimately, while you’re researching, make sure to keep an eye on history: which states have already enacted moratoriums? Which countries? And how has that panned out for them? Happy researching, and we’ll see you on the flip side of Septober!