New report finds community pushback delayed more than $98 billion in AI data center development: 'Never give up'

Mid-2025 "marked a turning point" for data center developers as opposition to the facilities spiked, according to Data Center Watch.

"In just three months, 20 projects were blocked or delayed amid local opposition, affecting $98 billion in potential investment — more than all disruptions tracked since 2023," Data Center Watch said of the second quarter.

On X, More Perfect Union (@MorePerfectUS) lauded the grassroots efforts.

$98 billion in planned AI data center development was derailed in a single quarter last year by community organizing and pushback, according to Data Center Watch, more than all disruptions tracked since 2023.

— More Perfect Union (@MorePerfectUS) January 6, 2026

As artificial intelligence continued to attract gargantuan investments from Silicon Valley giants and AI crept into education, work, and advertising, the data centers required to power them began to emerge across the American landscape.

On Jan. 6, The Washington Post covered what it called "the data center rebellion," a series of localized efforts to stall or prevent the construction of new buildings. 

As the newspaper noted, broad pushback — much of which is in deeply rural areas — is remarkably bipartisan. Residents of Silver Springs, Oklahoma, have been fighting to prevent the construction of a data center on farmland while local officials advocate for tech firms. 

Rick Plummer raises horses on land adjacent to the proposed data center, and he was skeptical of officials' promises of jobs and revenue as well as a pledge that energy costs wouldn't spike.

"They are trying to fluff this data center thing up and say, 'Man, eat this birthday cake.' But it isn't birthday cake," Plummer told the Post. 

Skyrocketing electricity bills are among the reasons many Americans oppose the construction of data centers. The facilities strain local water supplies, a drain on public resources rivaled only by their immense energy consumption.

Throughout 2025, electric bills rose sharply across several states, with spikes of up to 36.3% from May 2024 to May 2025, driven primarily by demand from data centers. 

Which is your biggest concern regarding AI technology? Energy consumption ⚡ Job displacement 🤖 Data privacy and security risks ⚠️ Humans losing control of it 😱 Click your choice to see results and speak your mind.

Data center demand is also stretching the limits of an overworked grid, increasing the risk of blackouts. According to the Post, Secretary of Energy Chris Wright "warned" AI firms at a December energy conference that they were ceding control of "the narrative."

"In rural America right now, where data centers are being built, everyone's already angry because their electricity prices have risen a lot. 'I don't want them in my state' is a common viewpoint," Wright said.

Commenters on More Perfect Union's post praised community efforts to block data centers.

"That's $98 billion that could go towards education or fixing rotting infrastructure. It's a complete waste of resources to give it to an 'industry' that would eliminate jobs instead of building," one wrote. 

"Never give up!" another user replied.

Get TCD's free newsletters for easy tips to save more, waste less, and make smarter choices — and earn up to $5,000 toward clean upgrades in TCD's exclusive Rewards Club.