Overview
- A wave of public opposition has formed by early July with polls showing roughly 71% of voters do not want data centers built in their area.
- Protests and local campaigns helped block or cancel about 75 projects worth an estimated $130 billion in proposed investment during the first months of 2026.
- More than a hundred moratoria have been proposed and dozens of cities have adopted temporary or permanent bans, including Monterey Park’s voter-approved permanent prohibition.
- Political fallout is visible at the ballot box and in statehouses as officials who backed large projects have lost primaries and lawmakers have opened hearings and proposed new rules for permitting and rates.
- The disputes center on concrete local harms—massive, continuous electricity demand, millions of gallons of water for cooling, and noise and air impacts—that clash with tech firms’ plans for rapid AI infrastructure expansion.