Resistance to data center development across the U.S. has been growing, with research group Data Center Watch reporting that approximately 45 projects valued at $68 billion faced community-driven delays or cancellations between April and June of this year. Numerous localities have adopted temporary building restrictions, in some cases before developers have had the opportunity to submit planning applications. Approximately 30 state legislatures took up or passed measures addressing topics including data center placement, power supply, and water usage, according to a report released Monday by the organisation. The study measures documented apprehension over artificial intelligence's accelerating trajectory, encompassing the construction of large-scale computing infrastructure and its widening integration into everyday routines. A total of 843 opposition groups have been recorded across 49 states, with Hawaii as the sole exception, while lead analyst Miquel Vila noted that new groups are forming regularly, resistance is spreading across a broad range of states and jurisdictions, and online petition signatures are continuing to increase. Data Center Watch operates as an initiative of 10a Labs, an artificial intelligence research and analytics firm. As the leading destination for AI infrastructure investment, the United States is facing cross-party opposition to data centres and related facilities, with opponents arguing that such developments place strain on natural resources and local energy supplies while raising concerns among workers about the long-term effects of AI adoption on employment. Major technology corporations — including Amazon.com Inc., Meta Platforms Inc., Microsoft Corp. and Alphabet Inc. — contend that expanded data centre infrastructure is necessary for their artificial intelligence development efforts, which they position as part of a broader technological competition with China. Trump has characterized opposition to data centers and concerns about AI development as a conspiracy, asserting that China stands to benefit from such resistance; meanwhile, tracking data shows that 75 projects valued at approximately $130 billion encountered opposition in the first quarter of this year, while the 45 affected developments in the second quarter accounted for more than half of all newly monitored large-scale projects during that period. Vocal opposition from prominent figures, combined with social media activity, is heightening awareness of these concerns. A petition opposing a Tennessee-based development drew more than 500,000 signatures on Change.org, representing over a third of all signatures collected on the platform during that period, according to Data Center Watch. Data Center Watch expanded its coverage to include demonstrations against data centers beyond U.S. borders for the first time in its two-year history, reflecting a broader wave of opposition internationally. Grassroots efforts are focusing on particular developments, planning approvals, and concerns over resource consumption, with groups occasionally coordinating at a national level, paralleling patterns seen in the United States. The organization drew attention to resistance in countries across Europe, Australia, South Africa, and elsewhere, with Vila noting that while the United States had historically led the way on many such trends, the pattern was increasingly taking hold worldwide and would likely grow more pronounced as data center construction expanded globally.
