Janene Ackles

Data centers must be responsibly regulated so that economic development does not come at the expense of the people who already live in our communities. I support clear standards governing where data centers can be located, including adequate distance from residential neighborhoods, schools, and environmentally sensitive areas.

Before approving new data centers, communities should evaluate their impact on electricity demand, water usage, air quality, noise, infrastructure, and public health. Residents should not be forced to absorb higher utility costs because a large data center requires significantly more electricity or water.

I also believe data center developers should be required to pay their fair share of the infrastructure and energy costs created by their projects. If their operations require expanded electrical capacity, water systems, roads, or other public infrastructure, those costs should not simply be passed along to residential customers and taxpayers.

Economic development is important, but it must be responsible development. Any data center approval should include strong environmental protections, meaningful community input, transparency about projected water and energy consumption, and enforceable requirements that protect nearby residents from increased costs and environmental harm.

North Carolina cannot build a strong science and biotechnology workforce without first making the necessary public investments in education. As a legislator, I would support fully funding our public schools, strengthening STEM instruction, and ensuring that schools have the teachers, laboratory equipment, technology, and instructional resources needed to prepare students for careers in science, biotechnology, health care, and advanced manufacturing.

I would also support increased state investment in community colleges so they can offer affordable, industry-aligned science and technical programs without shifting additional costs onto students. That includes funding for updated curriculum, modern equipment, faculty recruitment and retention, and short-term credential programs that respond directly to regional workforce needs.

The state should also expand dual-enrollment opportunities, apprenticeships, internships, and partnerships among K–12 schools, community colleges, universities, and biotechnology employers. These programs should be available in rural communities as well as our larger metropolitan areas.

Finally, I would support workforce-development incentives that require companies receiving state economic-development assistance to invest in local training, internships, and employment pipelines. If North Carolina is using public resources to attract science and biotechnology companies, those investments should also create clear educational and career opportunities for North Carolina residents

Government has a responsibility to protect public health, particularly when individuals and communities are exposed to risks they cannot reasonably control on their own. Environmental health is a major part of that responsibility.

I support strong laws and enforcement standards that protect communities from PFAS contamination, asbestos exposure, unsafe drinking water, air pollution, and other environmental hazards. Economic development should never come at the expense of the health and safety of the people who live nearby. Businesses and developers should be held accountable for preventing environmental harm, addressing contamination they cause, and helping cover the cost of remediation rather than shifting those costs to taxpayers.

I also support maintaining access to vaccines, disease-prevention programs, public-health education, and emergency-preparedness resources so families can make informed decisions and communities are prepared to respond to outbreaks, natural disasters, and other public-health emergencies.

At the legislative level, I would support stronger environmental safeguards, routine testing and public disclosure of health risks, adequate funding for state and local public-health agencies, and meaningful penalties when businesses violate health or environmental standards. Protecting public health and supporting economic growth should not be competing priorities. We can encourage development while still requiring companies to operate responsibly and protect the communities in which they do business.

Elected officials can help rebuild trust in science by making accurate information easier to access, more transparent, and easier for the public to understand. One area that increasingly requires attention is artificial intelligence. AI can be a valuable tool, but it can also be used to spread false or misleading information. I support reasonable regulations and transparency standards for AI-generated content, especially when it involves public health, science, elections, or other information that can significantly affect people’s lives.

Government leaders should also work directly with scientists, educators, health professionals, and trusted community organizations to communicate scientific information in plain language and explain not only what we know, but also what we do not yet know. Transparency helps build credibility.

We should also strengthen science education and media literacy so people have the tools to evaluate sources and recognize misinformation.

Science matters because decisions involving our health, environment, water, food, technology, and public safety can have lifelong consequences. Elected officials should not politicize scientific information. Our responsibility should be to ensure that the public receives reliable information, understands how conclusions are reached, and can make informed decisions based on credible evidence.