Opposition to Data Centers

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Anti-data-center yard sign

Since 2024, dozens of local community-led protest campaigns have emerged in opposition to AI data centers.[1][2][3][4]

Motivations

Organized opposition to AI data centers has been driven by concerns about energy use, energy costs,[5] noise pollution,[6] air pollution,[7] and water waste.[8][7] Opposition sentiment is widespread with a Gallup poll conducted in March 2026 showing that 70% of respondents oppose the construction of new AI data centers in their neighborhood.[9]

Impact

In 2025, local opposition to AI data centers led to the delay or cancellation of projects totalling US$156 billion.[10]

Specific protests and outcomes in the United States

Anti-data-center sentiment in rural Kansas neighborhood

According to Data Center Watch, there are has been a wave of dozens of protests against AI data centers since 2022. Below is a non-exhaustive list of some notable examples.

Goodyear and Buckeye, Arizona: Tract AI Data Center Proposal

In Goodyear and Buckeye, Arizona, a $14 billion project by developer Tract was withdrawn after local authorities blocked necessary rezoning in response to pressure from resident organizers. Opponest stiff resistance due to concerns over building heights, noise pollution, and the potential strain on local utilities. However, the company announced a revised project near the Buckeye airport in August 2024, with the backing of local officials and the mayor.[11]

Peculiar, Missouri: Diode Ventures Harper Road Technology Park Proposal

In Peculiar, Missouri, residents from the group "Peaceful Peculiar" organized to stop a data center proposal from Diode Ventures called Harper Road Technology Park.

Citing concerns around noise and light pollution, health, environmental impacts, jobs, property values, and energy use, organizers attended local planning and zoning meetings in large numbers and lobbied councilors to reject the proposal. Ultimately, the city council unanimously rejected the proposal in September 2024.[12]

Chesterton, Indiana: Provident Realty Advisors Proposal

In Chesterton, Indiana, the Texas-based company Provident Reality Advisors applied for a $1.3 billion construction of a data center complex on the Brassie Golf Club property. Provident Realty Advisors wanted to purchase the 200 acres owned by PPM Chesterton LLC in 2024 order to build a data center complex, with eight buildings and an end user of a hyperscaler. The Town Council of Chesterton released a statement saying that they would never support this project, at least not at the scale and location it was planned for. They cited fears of added noise for locals, electrical or water management concerns, the intrusiveness of a data center built next to houses, and more. Provident released a statement shortly after rescinding their plan, because it was clear than the town of Chesterton would not support them.[13][14]

Cascade Locks, Oregon: Roundhouse Digital Infrastructure Proposal

Startup data center developer Roundhouse Digital Infrastructure had planned to build out a 10-megawatt data center using a vacant industrial building and nearby 10-acre site in the Port of Cascade Locks, Oregon. After significant organized community opposition, the project was abandoned.[15]

Fort Worth, Texas: WUSF 5 Rock Creek East Proposal

In September 2024, the City Council of Fort Worth, Texas approved a zoning change that would allow construction of a data center. In responses, neighbors mounted opposition citing concerns about traffic, light pollution, energy consumption, water use, and noise issues if the data center were to be built. In response to extensive public comments opposing a tax break for the data center, a city councilor withdrew his motion to approve the tax break. As of April, 2026, the future of the project is still uncertain.[16]

Santa Clara, California: GI Partners Proposal

GI partners sought to build a new AI data center in Santa Clara, California, which is already home to many data centers, by acquiring a conditional permit use that would have allowed the developer to knock down a property and replace it with a data center.[17] To obtain this permit they were required to go before members of the Planning Commission. Ultimately, the project was delayed with the Planning Commission requiring GI partners to do more public outreach.

Virginia

Richmond: DC Blox Proposal

After residents organized to lobby the municipal government to block the proposal to avoid noise pollution and higher energy use, commissioners denied the company's permit.[18]

Catlett Station: Headwaters Site Proposal

In Catlett, Virginia, developer Headwaters proposed construction of a data center complex just north of the town in 2020. In response, a residents' organization called "Protect Catlett" was formed to oppose the project. Arguments against the data center involved its impacts on water and power availability, its noise as a residential disturbance, and its destruction of historic and community heritage buildings. Arguments in favor cited job creation and $20 million in local tax revenue if the project were to go through. Protect Catlett utilized town halls and public comments to mobilize opposition to the project. They also dedicated time to educating other residents about the project's negative impacts and canvassing door-to-door in order to garner even more opposition to the project. Ultimately, after fervent opposition from most town residents, the project was canceled by the town and the developer.[19]

Culpeper County: Culpeper Acquisitions Proposal

Culpeper Acquisitions, LLC, proposed a massive $12 billion data center project in Culpeper County, Virginia, designed to feature 4.6 million square feet of space across nine multi-story buildings. Coalition to Save Culpeper (C2SC) is an activist organization formed to resist the development of the project. C2SC has been active on many fronts including, messaging on social media, reaching out to local officials, and organizing meetings to bring community members with aligned interests together. Ultimately, the project was delayed due to unanimous denial by the Culpeper County Planning Commission on June 12, 2024, which was driven by intense opposition from C2SC. C2SC was successful in their mission largely because they were able to get so many people from the community behind it, and put enough pressure on local officials to take action.[20][21]

Midlothian: Province Group Proposal

In late October 2025, the Powhatan County Board of Supervisors in Virginia voted unanimously to approve the $3 billion data center, despite the county's Planning Commission having unanimously recommended denial several days earlier. The reasoning behind their support for the center is that it will generate substantial tax revenue, reducing the county's reliance on residential property taxes. This appeal of lowering residential property taxes is the major selling point for the center's development. The developer, California-based Province Group, incentivized the Board by being agreeable to its conditions for building the center. The center is still on track for development, but faces local resistance, though little information is available on specific groups opposing it.[22]

Warrenton: Amazon Proposal

Citizens for Farquier County (CFFC) advocates to "preserve the natural, historic and agricultural resources" of their county. Historically, this has meant opposing the building of a dam or lights in front of fast food stores. This group has recently mobilized in opposition of a plan to build data centers for Amazon. They first filed a suit to stop the construction in 2023 and it has been in litigation ever since. The case hinges on opposition to a 2021 zoning amendment which allowed data centers to be built in town. CFFC's lawyer, Dale Mullen, argues that this amendment violates state law, which requires such amendments to state their "public purpose". They argue that the permit for the Amazon data center was "void from the beginning". The CFFC also organized to vote out town council members who approved the first data center and were up for reelection, replacing them with candidates who opposed the data center. In May 2025, after attending town council meetings to speak out against the data center, the planning commission voted 4–1 to remove the zoning amendment allowing data center construction in town, citing public opposition. Currently, CFFC is advocating along with Piedmont Environmental Group, for phasing out data center tax breaks at the state level.[23][24][22]

France: Marseille opposition

In France, local opposition materialised in response to proposed data centre developments, especially in and around the city of Marseille. Opposition came from activists, such as "Clouds Were Under Our Feet" group, residents ,and local politicians. Issues raised related to energy use, environmental impact, and limited local benefits (such as the creation of a few jobs only).[25][26]

Legislation in the United States

Legal limits and moratoriums on the construction of new data centers have been proposed at the state and federal levels in the United States.

On April 8, 2026, voters in the Wisconsin town of Port Washington approved a ballot referendum limiting the construction of data centers, the first such referendum in the country. On April 15, 2026, the Maine state legislature passed a moratorium on new data centers pending further assessments. On April 24, Governor Janet Mills vetoed the legislation.[27][28] As of April 2026, state legislation limiting or proposing moratoriums on data centers has been introduced in Georgia, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, New York, Oklahoma, South Carolina, South Dakota, Vermont, and Virginia.[29][30]

On June 4, 2026, the New York state legislature passed bill that would set a one-year moratorium on new data centers in the state.[31] As of mid June, it had not been signed or vetoed by Governor Kathy Hochul.

References

  1. Shapero, Julia (23 April 2026). "Anti-data center measures gain traction at state, local level". The Hill.
  2. DePillis, Lydia (26 March 2026). "Local Opposition Is Slowing A.I. Data Centers. Wall Street Has Noticed". The New York Times.
  3. Mathur, Anusha (20 April 2026). "Data centers are expensive, unpopular — and could be a tipping point in the midterms". NPR.
  4. Merica, Dan; Choi, Matthew (23 April 2026). "Analysis | Data center opposition is growing and impacting key midterm campaigns". The Washington Post.
  5. Shapero, Julia (17 December 2025). "Sanders pushes for moratorium on AI data center construction". The Hill.
  6. Pavlinich, Elan Justice (27 February 2026). "The Dangers of Data Centers". EHP.
  7. Tao, Yu; Gao, Peng (September 2025). "Global data center expansion and human health: A call for empirical research". Eco-Environment & Health. 4 (3) 100157. Bibcode:2025EcoEH...400157T. doi:10.1016/j.eehl.2025.100157. PMC 12273412. PMID 40687513.
  8. "Data Centers and Water Consumption | Article | EESI".
  9. https://news.gallup.com/poll/709772/americans-oppose-data-centers-area.aspx
  10. "Data Center Watch". Data Center Watch. March 27, 2026.
  11. "Local Opposition Hinders More Data Center Construction Projects". datacenterknowledge.com.
  12. "This small town's residents battled over a giant data center campus. It's a drama happening across rural America". College of Communication & Information. University of Kentucky.
  13. "Chesterton Town Council releases statement on proposed data center on former Brassie Golf Course property". Retrieved 1 May 2026.
  14. "Proposed $1.3 billion Data Center in Chesterton abandoned by developer, citing opposition from town officials". indianaeconomicdigest.net. Chesterton Tribune. 13 June 2024. Retrieved 2026-05-01.
  15. "BisNow: Local Opposition Kills $100M Data Center Project in Hot Oregon Market". protectpwc.org. 24 July 2023.
  16. "Community pushback pauses Fort Worth vote on tax break for $1.1 billion data‑center project - CBS Texas". CBS News. 31 March 2026.
  17. Towne, Erika (12 March 2024). "Planning Commission Blocks Data Center Project". The Silicon Valley Voice.
  18. "DC Blox building three data centers in southeastern US, cans site in Richmond, Virginia". datacenterdynamics.com.
  19. "Update on Data Center Development and Transmission Lines in Fauquier". Piedmont Environmental Council. 4 October 2024.
  20. "The Coalition to Save Culpeper | No Data Center in Culpeper". Save Culpeper.
  21. "County planners recommend denial of Brandy Station data center campus in Culpeper County". datacenterdynamics.com.
  22. "$64 billion of data center projects have been blocked or delayed amid local opposition". datacenterwatch.org.
  23. "Trial begins in lawsuit delaying Amazon data center". Fauquier. 10 March 2026.
  24. "Data centers could soon be banned from Warrenton". Fauquier. 21 May 2025.
  25. "Backlash against data centres is spilling into French municipal election races". Reuters. 13 March 2026.
  26. "Inside the fight against Europe's data centres". Euronews. 2 October 2024.
  27. Mundry, Jackie (April 29, 2026). "Maine Legislature doesn't override Gov. Mills' veto of data center moratorium". WMTW.
  28. "Maine Gov. Janet Mills Vetoes Statewide Moratorium on AI Data Centers". Democracy Now!.
  29. "Which States Are Banning Data Centers?". www.ncsl.org.
  30. Thomas, Ellen. "These 12 states tried to pause new data centers. Maine could be the first to succeed". Business Insider.
  31. Dalban, By Lauren (2026-06-05). "New York State Gets One Step Closer to a Data Center Moratorium". Inside Climate News. Archived from the original on June 10, 2026. Retrieved 2026-06-10.