More than 75 data center build-outs worth $130 billion have been successfully blocked in the first four months of 2026 — bipartisan opposition mounts nationwide over fears of soaring power and water costs

Data center projects are being delayed nationwide as many opposition groups have successfully blocked their progress. According to Data Center Watch, a boutique research firm tracking data center development, at least 75 data center projects worth around $130 billion have been blocked or delayed across the nation in the first quarter of 2026 alone. By comparison, this is the same amount that was blocked throughout 2025.

This metric reflects the growing opposition to data centers across the United States. In late 2025, an Ipsos survey showed that nearly half of Americans didn’t want a new data center project near their neighborhood. However, this number jumped to 70% a few months later, indicating increasing resistance to data centers. Many of the concerns raised by residents include massive electricity price hikes, egregious water consumption, and potential noise pollution, among others. However, there have also been reports that Chinese users have been amplifying these issues while posing as Americans.

These concerns have resulted in numerous moratoriums passed in different jurisdictions. At least 69 local government units have enacted bans as of May 2026, with more joining the list since then. Seattle, the hometown of AI tech giants Microsoft and Amazon, is the biggest city to have passed a one-year pause on data center projects so far, affecting five proposed projects. It has even gotten to the point where Maine almost passed a statewide ban on large new data center projects until October 2027, with only the governor vetoing the bill because it affected one particular data center project.

Despite President Donald Trump’s push for AI development in the U.S., pushback against data centers has come from both sides of the aisle. While a few politicians have been pushing for data center development despite community opposition, many more have been listening to their constituents and passing regulations to halt or delay projects as they study how these projects could impact the community and mitigate any negative effects.

The number of projects being blocked across the nation is concerning for both the federal government, which is competing against China to gain the edge in AI technology, and AI tech companies like Anthropic, which is struggling to gain access to more compute. But if these developments damage the environment and the lifestyle of the people living around them, then it seems that Americans would rather do without them.

Follow Tom's Hardware on Google News, or add us as a preferred source, to get our latest news, analysis, & reviews in your feeds.