U.S. — Public backlash delayed or blocked at least 75 data center projects nationwide during the first quarter of 2026. These projects represented a cumulative value of $130 billion, according to the Data Center Watch Initiative.

Tech companies have responded to public opposition through various campaigns and pledges. Meta spent more than $6 million on an ad campaign in eight states and Washington D.C. in late 2025. The campaign extolled the virtues of data centers and their positive impact on the local economy. OpenAI and Microsoft have publicly pledged to cover costs as their data centers incur energy expenses. Nvidia, Amazon, and Google have detailed plans and technological breakthroughs claimed to reduce data center water usage over the past month. The largest U.S. tech companies have allocated $725 billion in capital expenditure for 2026, with the majority earmarked for data centers.

Local officials have proposed more than 120 moratoriums on data center development in 38 states as of June 2026. A Gallup poll published in May 2026 found that over 70% of Americans are either strongly or somewhat opposed to the idea of a data center being built near them. A survey published by Milltown Partners found that 8% of Americans who oppose data centers live near one. Around 38% of Americans live within a five-mile radius of at least one data center, according to an April report from the Pew Research Center.

Miquel Vila, lead analyst at the Data Center Watch, stated that public opposition has shifted. "Something that has changed right now is that now we have people that are against data centers even though they don't have a data center in their backyard, because they see data centers as the embodiment of AI," Vila said. He added, "What they oppose is AI." Vila also said, "They consider that stopping data centers is the way to stop AI development."

The Milltown Partners report found that 67% of voters cite rising energy bills as a reason to oppose data center construction. Additionally, the report found that 59% of voters oppose data center construction due to the sentiment that AI-driven gains will primarily benefit corporate America.