Broadband Breakfast on May 13, 2026 – The Politics of Data Centers

The fiercest battles over data centers are no longer being fought in Washington. They're playing out in county commissions, township zoning boards, and statehouses responding to grassroots revolt. From shots fired at an Indianapolis councilman's home to Maine's moratorium, Georgia's legislative stalemate, and zoning fights from East Whiteland to Glynn County, municipalities have become the front line of America's data center debate. What do local officials, industry voices and telecom and energy policy experts say about how zoning, preemption, and ratepayer concerns are reshaping where, and whether, data centers get built?

Panelists

• Tim Cywinski, Communications Director, Virginia Chapter, Sierra Club
• Chip Pickering, CEO, INCOMPAS
• Laura TeKrony, Little River District Supervisor, Loudoun County Government
• Alejandro Roark, Founder and CEO, AI Policy Forum
• Drew Clark (moderator), CEO and Publisher, Broadband Breakfast

Tim Cywinski is a political communications specialist dedicated to building a livable, fair future for every community. For more than 14 years, he has advanced policies on poverty, student rights, education, economic security, sustainability, and environmental justice. He currently leads communications for the Sierra Club Virginia Chapter, where he promotes environmental justice at the local, state, and federal levels while helping communities stand up to Big Industry and Big Tech polluting projects. Previously, Tim worked on electoral campaigns, community organizing, and lobbying at both the state and federal levels. He also offers free trainings to civic and community groups on strategic communications, grassroots organizing, and legislative advocacy.

Chip Pickering is CEO of INCOMPAS, the internet and competitive networks association. For nearly three decades, he has been at the forefront of every major telecommunications milestone, from his time as a Senate staffer on the Commerce Committee shaping the Telecommunications Act of 1996, to his role as a Member of Congress leading on tech issues and overseeing the transition to the commercial internet.

Supervisor Laura TeKrony was elected in November 2023 to represent the Little River District. She currently serves as Chair of the Board of Supervisors' Transportation and Land Use Committee, and she’s a member of the Joint Board and School Board Committee. Supervisor TeKrony also represents Loudoun on the Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments' Board of Directors and is Vice Chair of the Food and Agriculture Regional Member Policy Committee. Additionally, she serves as one of Loudoun’s representatives on the Coalition of Loudoun Towns. She graduated with a bachelor’s degree in biology from Bucknell University and a master’s degree in marketing from Fordham University. Little River District Supervisor Laura A. TeKrony | Loudoun County, VA - Official Website

Alex Roark is a nationally respected technology policy leader with more than 15 years of experience at the intersection of emerging technologies, digital infrastructure, and public-interest governance. He is the Founder and Chief Executive Officer of the A-I Policy Forum, a national public-interest organization laying the foundation for an AI future in which every person, community, and institution has the knowledge, tools, and agency to shape how technology is designed, deployed, and governed. As a trusted voice in national policy conversations, he frequently advises policymakers, senior government officials, corporate executives, and civil society leaders on AI governance, digital infrastructure modernization, and community-informed approaches to technology policy.

Breakfast Media LLC CEO Drew Clark has led the Broadband Breakfast community since 2008. An early proponent of better broadband, better lives, he initially founded the Broadband Census crowdsourcing tool to collect and verify broadband data left unpublished by the Federal Communications Commission. As CEO and Publisher, Clark presides over the leading media community advocating for higher-capacity internet everywhere through topical, timely and intelligent coverage. Clark also served as head of the Partnership for a Connected Illinois, a state broadband initiative.