Communities are rising up against data centers — and winning
Local fights against new data centers are gaining bipartisan support across the US as communities push back against the high energy and water demands of these facilities. Developers have canceled or delayed billions of dollars' worth of data center projects in the face of opposition. Key issues include rising electricity costs, pollution, and the environmental impacts of powering and cooling data centers.
Communities across the U.S. are rising up against new data center projects, with bipartisan support. In 2025, grassroots groups, voters, and local lawmakers blocked or delayed over $98 billion in proposed data center investments due to concerns over rising electricity bills and pollution from power plants. Analysts expect opposition to continue growing as the demand for data centers increases. Some states are starting to limit tax incentives and energy cost advantages for data centers. Environmental groups have called for a moratorium on data center construction, arguing there are not enough policies to prevent them from burdening local communities. The data center battles have become a political issue, and are expected to play a role in the 2024 midterm elections.