STOCKS | U.S. Data Center Projects Face Community Pushback as $68 Billion Is Delayed

Community opposition to data centers in the United States is continuing to intensify. According to Sina Finance, research firm Data Center Watch said about 45 data center projects worth a combined $68 billion were halted or delayed from April to June because of local resistance. The report said communities across the country are pushing for moratoriums on data center construction, often before developers formally apply for permits. It also said about 30 state legislatures have proposed or passed rules involving data center siting, power supply, and water use. Data Center Watch, a project under AI intelligence firm 10a Labs, said there are now 843 opposition groups in 49 U.S. states, excluding Hawaii. Miquel Vila, the project's chief analyst, said new opposition groups are emerging, resistance is appearing in more states and regions, and online petition signatures continue to grow. The report said the backlash reflects growing concern over the rapid expansion of artificial intelligence, including large-scale construction of new compute clusters and AI's growing presence in daily life. U.S. President Donald Trump dismissed opposition to data center construction and concerns about AI development as a "sick conspiracy," and said "the only one happy about it is China." Data Center Watch said that, for the first time in two years of research, it has expanded its monitoring beyond the United States because opposition is rising globally. It said resistance abroad is focused on specific projects, government planning approvals, and resource consumption, and sometimes develops into national coordination efforts. The group cited opposition activity in several European countries, Australia, and South Africa.