'Unprecedented Surge' in Local Backlash Puts 75 New US Data Centers on Hold in Just 3 Months
A new report from Data Center Watch says at least 75 US data center projects were blocked or delayed in Q1 2026, with an estimated total value of around $130 billion.
That's roughly the value of all US data center projects blocked or delayed throughout 2025.
This year's halted projects involve cloud and AI data centers, which face increased local and state opposition over energy use, water demands, noise pollution, geological and ecological impact, limited employment opportunities, and more. Data Center Watch counts 833 anti‑data center groups active in 49 states in early 2026, showing that organized resistance has spread across almost the entire country.
Meanwhile, US lawmakers filed more than 300 bills linked to data centers, AI, or large power users in the opening weeks of 2026. At least 14 states considered bills to pause or tightly restrict the construction of new data centers. In Maine, legislators...
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