Heartland Institute’s Chris Talgo says a failed climate agenda is being resurrected under the guise of AI and data-center anxiety ahead of the 2026 midterms
SCHAUMBURG, IL (September 28, 2026) — With the 2026 midterms approaching, Democratic Socialists of America-aligned congressional candidates are calling for a revived Green New Deal. This rebrand is marketed as the answer to AI and data-center concerns rather than climate change.
In a new commentary, Chris Talgo, editorial director at The Heartland Institute, argues it’s the same failed policy wearing a new disguise, and that Americans should recognize the rebrand for what it is.
Talgo is available to explain how the Green New Deal is being repackaged, why its own architects have admitted it was never really about climate, and what candidates pushing it are proposing heading into the midterms.
Why you should cover this topic:
• It’s a live 2026 midterm story. Talgo describes why DSA-backed House candidates Melat Kiros and Adam Hamawy are both on record calling for a revived Green New Deal, with Kiros saying the original Green New Deal is now “a floor, not a ceiling.”
• AI is the new marketing hook for an old agenda. Talgo highlights how the Sunrise Movement is now framing the GND around data centers and AI-driven job losses, rather than the climate emergency messaging it used for years — a shift that plays into current AI-anxiety headlines.
• A Green New Deal architect already admitted it was never about climate. Talgo’s piece revives a damaging 2019 quote from Saikat Chakrabarti, AOC’s former chief of staff, who told reporters the Green New Deal was really a “how-do-you-change-the-entire-economy thing,” not a climate policy. That moment of truth undercuts the current rebrand.
• It ties directly to the energy-reliability debate your audience is following. Talgo cites a Heartland Institute energy scorecard finding natural gas, nuclear, hydro, and coal outperform wind and solar on affordability, reliability, and environmental impact.
• It’s a “follow the rhetoric” story. Talgo argues climate alarmism has “waned considerably” as more Americans embrace climate realism. So Democrats are hedging their bets now, but the goal of more government power over our lives remains the same.
Why Book Chris Talgo?
Chris Talgo is editorial director and a research fellow focused on socialism at The Heartland Institute. He writes and comments frequently on the resurgence of socialist and collectivist policy proposals in American politics and can translate complex policy platforms into a clear discussion of their real-world consequences for any audience.
To book Talgo on your program, reply to this email or contact VP & Director of Communications Jim Lakely at [email protected] or call/text 312-731-9364.
The Heartland Institute is a national nonprofit organization founded in 1984 and headquartered in Schaumburg, Illinois. Its mission is to discover, develop, and promote free-market solutions to social and economic problems. For more information, visit our website or call 312/377-4000.
Chris Talgo is the Editorial Director for The Heartland Institute and a fellow for Heartland’s Glenn C. Haskins Emerging Issues Center.
