60: Bill Beard on Data Centers, Property Rights, and the Politics of Infrastructure

William "Bill" Beard, Municipal Affairs Liaison at the Goldwater Institute and a former member of the Pima County Election Integrity Commission, joined the Grand Canyon Times podcast to discuss the politics and policy disputes surrounding data centers.

Beard argues that data centers are an extension of longstanding information infrastructure, not a novel threat, and says public debate is being distorted by misinformation about energy, water, and land use. He frames the issue primarily as one of private property rights and warns that restrictive or politically driven regulation could deter investment, weaken economic competitiveness, and leave states behind as digital infrastructure demand grows.