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Big technology firms are running into a wall of local resistance as they try to build massive data centers across the country, with residents in small towns and suburbs pushing back against developments they say threaten their communities. The wave of opposition is spreading fast. Towns and cities nationwide are sharing strategies and information about stopping data center construction plans that keep getting larger to handle growing demand for artificial intelligence and cloud computing. Companies searching for reliable electricity connections are branching into new areas, but they’re meeting fierce resistance. Local government officials face tough decisions about whether these facilities, which use enormous amounts of electricity and water, belong in their communities. Many places lack clear rules about data centers, forcing boards to consider special exceptions or draft new laws from scratch. What used to be quiet town meetings are now packed with upset residents demanding their leaders say no. “Would you want this built in your backyard?” Larry Shank asked officials in East Vincent Township, Pennsylvania, last month. “Because that’s where it’s literally going, is in my backyard.” The mounting defeats worry major technology companies, property developers, power companies, and labor unions invested in the data center business. Andy Cvengros, who works on data center deals for commercial real estate company JLL, told AP News he’s seen opponents knock on doors, pass out T-shirts, and plant signs in yards for seven or eight recent projects. “It’s becoming a huge problem,” Cvengros said. Data Center Watch, run by AI security firm 10a Labs, reports a major increase in community and government obstacles to data center construction. From April through June, the group tracked 20 proposals worth $98 billion across 11 states that got stopped or stalled because of local fights and state-level opposition. That represented two-thirds of all projects being…

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Filed under: News - @ January 3, 2026 11:52 pm