Op-Ed: Saul Anuzis: Why data centers matter for America’s seniors
Saul Anuzis makes the case that data centers help American seniors live their lives to the fullest in his latest op-ed.
Across America, communities are debating whether to welcome or resist new data centers. Some environmental activists and local leaders oppose their construction, citing power use or local impact. But this debate misses a far larger truth: data centers are not just about the future of technology — they are about the future of people, especially our nation’s seniors.
Today’s seniors depend more than ever on technology for their health, security, and quality of life. From telemedicine to remote monitoring, digital banking to social connectivity, the infrastructure that powers these services lives in one place — data centers. Without them, the promise of modern care and convenience simply doesn’t exist.
When critics push back against building these facilities, they’re not just opposing corporate projects. They’re standing in the way of the systems that deliver critical care, protect sensitive information, and connect families across generations.
Think about how healthcare has changed in just the past decade. Millions of older Americans now rely on telehealth visits to speak with doctors from home. Wearable medical devices track heart rhythms, blood oxygen, and medication reminders, feeding data into secure networks where professionals can intervene in real time. None of this happens without data centers — the digital engines that store and transmit the information keeping seniors healthier and safer.
When a cardiologist reviews a patient’s pacemaker data remotely, that signal travels through a cloud service running in a data center. When an aging veteran in a rural area logs into a telemedicine portal to consult a VA doctor, that video link depends on servers housed in those same centers. The availability and reliability of these technologies literally saves lives.
The benefits go far beyond medicine. Many seniors depend on online banking and digital financial tools to manage retirement income and Social Security deposits safely. Fraud detection systems — powered by artificial intelligence — operate in massive data centers scanning millions of transactions per second to protect seniors from scams and identity theft. Without that infrastructure, the digital financial safety net collapses.
Even the seemingly simple gift of connection depends on data centers. Grandparents FaceTiming their grandchildren, streaming church services, or joining online support communities for caregivers are all using networks powered by these facilities. Especially for older Americans living alone or far from family, this kind of digital connection reduces isolation and supports mental well-being.
But the benefits don’t stop at the individual level. The construction of data centers also strengthens the local economy — and that directly affects seniors, too. These projects create jobs, expand the local tax base, and generate new funding for schools, roads, and emergency services. In many communities, that added revenue helps stabilize property taxes and preserve local services seniors depend on.
Studies show that for every full-time job created in a data center, several additional jobs are supported in the surrounding community — electricians, plumbers, landscapers, security staff, and service providers. During construction alone, hundreds of workers can be employed for months or even years. Those paychecks ripple outward, supporting local diners, stores, and small businesses. When local economies thrive, seniors benefit through better-funded community programs, public safety, and healthcare access.
Critics argue that data centers use too much energy or water. That’s a fair concern — but one that technology and innovation are already solving. Modern centers are being paired with renewable energy, smarter cooling systems, and cleaner design standards that minimize environmental impact. In fact, data center companies are among the largest investors in renewable energy projects nationwide. The answer isn’t to cancel these projects — it’s to build them better.
What’s more, America’s seniors deserve to know that their personal data — medical, financial, and otherwise — is secure. Hosting these systems in U.S.-based facilities with American oversight ensures data protection and privacy standards are enforced here, not outsourced abroad. When we push data infrastructure overseas, we risk losing control over the very systems that protect our seniors’ information and health.
The truth is, rejecting data centers doesn’t make America greener, safer, or stronger — it just makes us less competitive and less connected. And it hurts the very people who rely most on reliable digital services: seniors living longer, healthier, more independent lives thanks to technology.
America must lead in this space. We can and should insist that data centers meet the highest environmental and community standards — but we must build them. They are essential infrastructure for healthcare, security, and opportunity in a digital age that belongs to everyone, not just the young and tech-savvy.
As our nation ages, technology will play an ever-greater role in keeping seniors healthy, independent, and connected. Data centers make that possible. They are not the problem — they are the platform. Rejecting them is rejecting progress.
It’s time we recognize data centers for what they truly are: modern tools that serve every generation, but especially those who’ve already built the country we now have the privilege to improve. America’s seniors deserve the benefits of the digital age — and that begins with building the infrastructure that makes it all work.
Saul Anuzis is the president of the 60 Plus Association and a Republican Party politician from Michigan. He was chairman of the Michigan Republican Party from 2005–2009 and was also a candidate for national chairman of the Republican National Committee in 2009 and 2011 as well as a member of the RNC from 2005-2012.