Opposition to data centers has helped block projects worth an estimated $130 billion in the first quarter of the year.
NBC News reported that from January to March, 75 projects were delayed or blocked by opponents. It referenced Data Center Watch an organization that tracks opposition to data centers.
The opposition to data centers has "consolidated into a national political force," Data Center Watch stated, adding that the second half of 2025 marked a turning point as data center opposition shifted.
"What began as individual zoning disputes is now reshaping elections, regulation, and site viability nationwide," Data Center Watch stated.
That movement has only appeared to accelerate in the first quarter of 2026.
"The quarter reflected a structural shift rather than a cyclical spike: communities have internalized an opposition playbook, legislative sessions introduced formal regulatory uncertainty, and the number of active opposition groups more than doubled to 833 across 49 states," a report from the group stated.
Data centers are necessary to support big tech operations, including the development of AI. A Gallup poll in May found that the majority of Americans have a negative view of data centers and don't want to live near them.
The poll found that 70 percent of Americans opposed the local construction of data centers. Of those, 48 percent strongly opposed them.
The poll also found that environmental and resource concerns are driving much of the opposition. Forty-six percent of respondents said that they were worried a great deal about the potential environmental impact and another 24 percent said they were worried a fair amount about the potential impact, according to Gallup.
About half of those opposing data centers worried about the excessive use of resources such as water or energy.
The public opposition is helping to fuel legislative action. NBC News reported that 300 bills were introduced in state legislatures in the first six weeks of 2026.
"In some cases opposition mobilized before any project was officially filed, the mere rumor of a data center was enough to trigger organized resistance," the Data Center Watch report stated according to NBC News.
