OpenAI, Anthropic Hire Tennessee Lobbyists as Data Center Backlash Grows

Major AI firms register to lobby Tennessee lawmakers

OpenAI and Anthropic have hired lobbyists in Tennessee for the first time, joining at least nine other artificial intelligence and data center companies preparing to influence state policy as local opposition to their infrastructure projects intensifies.

Newly filed records with Tennessee's state ethics board reveal that 11 companies tied to AI and data centers have registered lobbyists in 2026. The roster includes first-time registrants OpenAI (owner of ChatGPT), Anthropic (owner of Claude), the Data Center Coalition, and AI venture capital firm Andreessen Horowitz. They join Amazon, Axon Enterprises, Google, Flock Safety, Meta, Oracle, and Salesforce—all of which already maintain lobbying operations in the state.

The disclosure forms do not yet specify lobbying expenditures, but they signal the companies intend to engage with Tennessee legislators before the January 2027 session begins.

Why it matters

Tennessee has emerged as a strategic battleground for AI infrastructure policy. The state's combination of tax incentives, available land, and energy resources has attracted billions in technology investment—but that growth now faces organized resistance from communities concerned about electricity costs and environmental impact. How Tennessee navigates this tension could set precedents for other states weighing similar trade-offs between economic development and local quality of life.

Data center opposition drives lobbying push

Brendan Glavin, director of insights with OpenSecrets, a nonprofit tracking political spending, said the lobbying effort likely focuses on data centers rather than AI regulation specifically. "AI interests need to be active at the state level to counter the rising anti-data center movement," Glavin noted. "This was likely barely on their radar not that long ago."

Several Tennessee communities have imposed construction moratoriums on data centers amid concerns about rising electricity prices and environmental consequences. State Representative Aftyn Behn, a Nashville Democrat, has called for a pause on tax breaks for data center projects.

Tennessee's tech investment boom

The state has attracted major technology investments in recent years. Google opened a Clarksville data center in 2019, Meta launched a Gallatin facility in 2024, and xAI (formerly SpaceXAI) opened operations in Memphis the same year. Amazon established a second headquarters in Nashville in 2023, and Oracle has announced plans for a future campus.

Tennessee currently offers multiple incentives for data center construction and exempts data processing services from sales tax. The state Department of Finance and Administration estimates this processing exemption alone provided nearly $110 million in tax savings for companies in fiscal year 2026-27.

Notably, xAI has not registered any lobbyists, according to the ethics commission database.

These details were first reported by Tennessee Lookout.