Data Center Signal is tracking 961 clips about OpenAI data center developments across 15 states, including GA, MI, NM, TX, WI.
OpenAI held a small-business training event for Abilene-area business owners as it prepares to bring a data center to the community. Local business owners discussed concerns about the project but said the community could benefit if the facility is developed responsibly.
A public hearing on Project Jupiter's air quality permit has been rescheduled for Dec. 7 in Sunland Park, New Mexico. Yucca Growth Infrastructure LLC is seeking approval to use a natural gas pipeline to power thousands of Bloom Energy fuel cells at the Oracle- and OpenAI-backed data center campus, while environmental advocates challenge the permit over emissions and other concerns.
OpenAI is seeking community support in Effingham County for its proposed $20 billion Project Camellia AI data center campus near Rincon. Residents have raised concerns about electricity demand, water use, traffic, noise and environmental impacts, while OpenAI announced a $2 million grant for the first phase of the proposed Atlas Park recreational project.
Residents of Saline Township are opposing a wastewater discharge permit for an OpenAI and Oracle data center campus under construction near the Saline River. They want independent, real-time monitoring and broader consideration of cumulative watershed impacts before Michigan regulators decide on the permit.
Michigan gubernatorial candidates Jocelyn Benson and John James both called for slowing or pausing new data-center development during a debate, though James later said local governments rather than the state should decide whether projects proceed. Their dispute focused partly on the Stargate data-center project in Saline Township, involving OpenAI, Oracle and Related Companies, amid concerns about water use, electricity costs, farmland and noise.
A proposed Oracle and OpenAI data center in Saline Township is facing scrutiny over wastewater discharge into the Saline River, including phosphorus limits and contaminants that may not be routinely tested. Michigan officials, residents and policy experts are also debating the environmental and electricity costs of data center growth, while Ypsilanti Township maintains a temporary moratorium on new water and sewer connections.
Effingham County commissioners voted to hire Charles Abbott Associates to represent the county and oversee the first phase of Project Camellia, a planned 1,400-acre OpenAI data center campus. Residents say they want their concerns heard as the county moves forward, including potential truck traffic and construction noise.
WTOC reports from Abilene, Texas, where the Stargate AI data center campus is affecting nearby residents. Residents describe noise, nighttime lighting, construction activity and increased traffic, while the project represents a major expansion of AI infrastructure in the community.
Effingham County commissioners advanced a comprehensive zoning ordinance update while residents pushed for stricter rules requiring data centers to obtain conditional-use approval and undergo public hearings. Residents are also seeking a moratorium on future data center development, and three residents have sued the county over a zoning change that permits data centers in certain industrial areas.
Data center opposition has emerged as a significant issue in the 2026 midterm elections, particularly in Ohio, where residents are concerned about electricity costs, water use, farmland and local control. The planned PORTS-Pike Technology Campus near Piketon illustrates the mixed response, with some landowners weighing property offers while others anticipate jobs and economic growth.
Effingham County commissioners voted to hire Charles Abbott Associates to represent the county and oversee the first phase of the proposed Project Camellia data center campus. OpenAI plans to develop the 1,400-acre campus, while the firm will handle inspections, plan reviews and concerns such as truck traffic and construction noise.
Effingham County commissioners unanimously selected Charles Abbott Associates Inc. to oversee civil, structural, permitting and construction activities for Phase 1 of OpenAI's Project Camellia data center near Rincon. Site-plan approval remains pending while planning, permitting and a sound study continue, with residents raising concerns about electricity, water use and noise.
The Pennsylvania House passed a bill 202-1 that would prevent commercial data centers from being designated as public utilities and using eminent domain to acquire land. The measure, sponsored by Rep. Chris Pielli, faces little chance of passing the Republican-controlled Senate this year, while a similar Senate bill sponsored by Sen. Katie Muth remains inactive.
An Ozaukee County judge dismissed a lawsuit challenging Port Washington's ordinance requiring public votes on large tax incentives. The ordinance, backed by data center opponents, remains in effect after voters approved it in an April referendum, though it could still face an appeal.
The rapid growth of AI data centers is driving development of solid-state transformers that can manage high-voltage electricity more efficiently and flexibly than conventional equipment. Companies including DG Matrix, Nvidia, Google and Microsoft are developing or supporting architectures that could help data centers handle larger loads while reducing stress on the power grid.
A settlement in a lawsuit over Vantage Data Centers’ Port Washington project requires the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources to conduct a statewide review of the environmental and economic impacts of data center development. Vantage will pay the full cost of the analysis, which must be completed by January 2028, while permits for the Port Washington facility remain valid.
Arizona Attorney General Kris Mayes held a town hall in Mesa where residents raised concerns about data centers' effects on water supplies, electricity costs, pollution and neighborhood quality of life. Mayes reiterated support for a statewide pause on data center approvals and urged state lawmakers and Gov. Katie Hobbs to consider a moratorium, while Ahwatukee residents specifically opposed a Menlo Digital project under construction.
Wisconsin regulators will conduct a statewide analysis of the environmental, water, energy and other impacts of data center development under a settlement resolving a lawsuit over permits for Vantage Data Centers’ Lighthouse campus in Port Washington. The permits will remain valid, while Vantage will fund the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources review, which must be completed by January 2028.
The Wisconsin Economic Development Corp. signed at least five nondisclosure agreements with data center developers, sometimes months or years before projects were publicly announced. State Rep. Clint Moses plans to introduce legislation extending a proposed ban on local data center NDAs to the state agency.
In an opinion column, Brian Bengs argues that the rapid expansion of artificial intelligence and the data centers supporting it is proceeding without adequate safety, environmental, or public oversight. He criticizes the power and water demands of data centers and calls for slowing AI development rather than prioritizing corporate profits and competition with China.