Bloomberg recently reported that local opposition helped stall or block at least 48 U.S. data center projects—representing roughly $156 billion in planned investment. Communities are increasingly raising concerns about power demand, water use, noise, land consumption, and limited local economic benefits.
“Community opposition has spread, now including roughly 188 local groups operating across 40 states, with cancellations jumping from six in 2024 to 25 in 2025, and a record pace in early 2026,” says Prof. Aldrich. “Developers facing organized resistance don’t stop building: They relocate. The data center fight is unfolding exactly the way controversial facility siting usually does, and that tells us where the money goes next.”
