In just three months, data center backlash stalls $130 billion in projects across 49 states

[1srelluc]

An abandoned 250-megawatt data center plan in Wake County, North Carolina, looks increasingly like part of a broader pattern rather than a standalone fight. Across the United States, opposition in the first quarter of 2026 helped delay or cancel data center projects worth more than $130 billion.

According to Fortune, concerns about water use, air quality, and utility costs drove local resistance to Natelli Investments' proposed 190-acre data center campus. Earlier this year, after zoning changes, the developer withdrew its annexation and rezoning requests.

The dispute reflects a national trend identified by Data Center Watch: Seventy-five projects worth more than $130 billion were delayed or canceled in the first quarter, and active opposition groups grew from 396 at the end of 2025 to 833 by the end of March across 49 states.

The report said the pushback has spread beyond traditional tech hubs such as Northern Virginia and Northern California, with hearings and town meetings becoming more contentious as some states weigh or adopt moratoriums on large data center permits.

MSN

Towns/counties better revisit their by-right building laws too. Many of the data center lawyers are suing using poorly updated by-right statues to do end arounds on otherwise disapproved data center projects.

My town/county is revisiting ours since a company who buys land for data centers bought a large parcel next to the Shenandoah River.

 

[Eman623]

The dispute reflects a national trend identified by Data Center Watch: Seventy-five projects worth more than $130 billion were delayed or canceled in the first quarter, and active opposition groups grew from 396 at the end of 2025 to 833 by the end of March across 49 states.

Useful idiot groups are growing. Who says Chinese propaganda doesn't work?

 

[1srelluc]

Useful idiot groups are growing. Who says Chinese propaganda doesn't work?

Oh the noes!....Not the "Mah China" stalking horse again.....Come on man.

 

[pknopp]

Cool.

 

[Eman623]

Oh the noes!....Not the "Mah China" stalking horse again.....Come on man.

"Mah China" is building data centers as fast as they can, as they propagandize useful idiots to oppose them here.

https://www.npr.org/2026/06/10/nx-s1-5844328/us-china-data-centers-foreign-influence

 

[Crepitus]

An abandoned 250-megawatt data center plan in Wake County, North Carolina, looks increasingly like part of a broader pattern rather than a standalone fight. Across the United States, opposition in the first quarter of 2026 helped delay or cancel data center projects worth more than $130 billion.

According to Fortune, concerns about water use, air quality, and utility costs drove local resistance to Natelli Investments' proposed 190-acre data center campus. Earlier this year, after zoning changes, the developer withdrew its annexation and rezoning requests.

The dispute reflects a national trend identified by Data Center Watch: Seventy-five projects worth more than $130 billion were delayed or canceled in the first quarter, and active opposition groups grew from 396 at the end of 2025 to 833 by the end of March across 49 states.

The report said the pushback has spread beyond traditional tech hubs such as Northern Virginia and Northern California, with hearings and town meetings becoming more contentious as some states weigh or adopt moratoriums on large data center permits.

MSN

Towns/counties better revisit their by-right building laws too. Many of the data center lawyers are suing using poorly updated by-right statues to do end arounds on otherwise disapproved data center projects.

My town/county is revisiting ours since a company who buys land for data centers bought a large parcel next to the Shenandoah River.

Good.

 

[1srelluc]

"Mah China" is building data centers as fast as they can, as they propagandize useful idiots to oppose them here.

https://www.npr.org/2026/06/10/nx-s1-5844328/us-china-data-centers-foreign-influence

The chi-coms have 1K data centers, the US 5K....628 in Virginia alone.

 

[Eman623]

The chi-coms have 1K data centers, the US 5K....628 in Virginia alone.

Source?

 

[pknopp]

"Mah China" is building data centers as fast as they can, as they propagandize useful idiots to oppose them here.

https://www.npr.org/2026/06/10/nx-s1-5844328/us-china-data-centers-foreign-influence

I want my Chinese money.

 

[Manonthestreet]

"Mah China" is building data centers as fast as they can, as they propagandize useful idiots to oppose them here.

https://www.npr.org/2026/06/10/nx-s1-5844328/us-china-data-centers-foreign-influence

The better to control the populace

 

[Eman623]

I want my Chinese money.

I'm sure you do.

 

[Gabe Lackmann]

People need to start standing up to these monstrosities.
Poising you as they create the walls of your digital prison.
Disgusting.

 

[1srelluc]

Source?

Number of Data Centers By Country - Brilliant Maps

The map above shows the number of Data Centers by country in the world according to Data Center Map and based off their numbers the US is the clear leader with over 4,000 compared to its next closest competitor the UK which has just 509.

brilliantmaps.com

Seems low to me but I tried dumbing it down the best I could for ya.

 

[odanny]

What is driving the relentness construction of these? All of the tech companies based on the West Coast want to plant these in cornfields and small towns all across the country?

No one has ever provided much information on who is behind the construction of these data centers, where the money is coming from, and the intended purpose of each one. Without more transparency, do not let these into your county.

 

[1srelluc]

What is driving the relentness construction of these? All of the tech companies based on the West Coast want to plant these in cornfields and small towns all across the country?

No one has ever provided much information on who is behind the construction of these data centers, where the money is coming from, and the intended purpose of each one. Without more transparency, do not let these into your county.

Must be all those cute cat videos that are overwhelming the system.

 

[TroglocratsRdumb]

The data centers should be required to pay for building new power plants and new grid infrastructure.

 

[TroglocratsRdumb]

Remember when the CD was the fantastic new technology?
That did not last very long.
The same thing will happen to the data centers.
They will be replaced by something that is better.

 

[Muhammed]

The chi-coms have 1K data centers, the US 5K....628 in Virginia alone.

There's a couple hundred here in Ohio too.

There's even one in New Albany. Les Wexner owns that town.

 

[odanny]

Remember when the CD was the fantastic new technology?
That did not last very long.
The same thing will happen to the data centers.
They will be replaced by something that is better.

"Something better" is here, it's called Artificial Intelligence. It is the replacement, it's here to replace humans.

 

[citygator]

Put them in red states. They don’t care how terrible their environment is. Then we can use AI in blue states to make money and they can choke on the water and air. It’s a win/win.