The Fight Against AI Data Centers Is Just Beginning
Protests against AI data centers are escalating across the US, with communities and lawmakers pushing back against rising energy costs and environmental impacts.
Since Apple's failed attempt to build a data center in Ireland in 2015 after local opposition, the battle against AI data centers has intensified. In the first quarter of 2026 alone, protesters have blocked or delayed at least 75 projects worth $130 billion, according to a study by Data Center Watch. The number of active opposition groups more than doubled from 396 to 833, now spanning 49 states, with over 235,000 petition signatures collected.
Residents report rising energy bills, water quality issues, noise, and light pollution. The US Energy Information Administration says commercial energy demand will surpass residential demand for the first time this year due to AI data centers, and it is expected to double by 2027.
Several major projects have been halted. In January, QTS dropped a $12 billion campus in DeForest, Wisconsin, following community protests. In March, a planned data center in Delaware City was blocked under the state's Coastal Zone Act. In July, opponents blocked QTS's "Digital Gateway" in Prince William County, Virginia, which would have spanned 2,000 acres. Kevin O'Leary's Project Stratos in Utah was also downsized under pressure.
A political battle is brewing in Congress. President Trump signed an executive order to fast-track data center construction, but some Republicans are distancing themselves ahead of midterm elections. Senators Bernie Sanders and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez introduced a bill to pause new AI data centers until Congress passes laws to protect utility rates and the environment. Bipartisan support exists for the Ratepayer Protection Act, requiring tech giants to pay their own energy costs, and the GRID Act, which would force data centers to use separate energy sources.
States are also taking action. Florida has rules preventing data centers from passing costs to residents; Idaho restricted water usage; Washington removed tax breaks. Altogether, 28 state laws related to AI data centers have been enacted.
Local laws alone may not suffice, and federal bills are still pending, leaving communities to fend for themselves. Future projects include Meta's $27 billion Hyperion in Louisiana, Google's $10 billion Project Mica in Missouri, SpaceXAI's $20 billion campus in Mississippi, and the $500 billion Stargate network. In Wyoming, a contractor linked to Meta flushed bacteria-contaminated water into sewers, and factories in the Midwest face rising electricity costs due to nearby data centers. Plans for 74 gas-fired plants to power data centers could emit as much greenhouse gas as all of Australia.
