Data center opponents have blocked or delayed projects worth nearly $130 billion in 2026, study finds

Startup Fortune

Opposition groups halted $130 billion in data center projects in Q1 2026

Fortune

Communities are blocking billions in data centers. Big Tech has wagered $1 trillion otherwise

Data Center Watch

$64 billion of data center projects have been blocked or delayed amid local opposition  Data Center Watch

Data Center Watch Briefing

City Journal

New York Has a Data-Center Panic, Not a Policy

Substack

The data center rebellion is only the beginning

Gallup.com

Americans Oppose AI Data Centers in Their Area

Dont Reject Data Centers. Negotiate Harder.

Elon Musk

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Stuart Russell

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Yann LeCun

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Jaan Tallinn

Tristan Harris

Marc Andreessen

Cédric O

Arthur Clarke

"AI may cause the most dramatic and sustained economic boom of all time."

AI will make the world "way wealthier" and lead to a "productivity boom."

AI is an "amplifier of human intelligence" and will help the economy thrive.

AI will enable "universal high income" in place of "universal basic income."

"AI may become the heart of future economic growth in the coming decades."

AI harms could include "disrupting economies."

AI could "disrupt job markets."

"AI and technological unemployment" are the "biggest problem we face" from an "economic point of view."

"The moment superintelligent AI emerges, the human economy will end."

Will AI Bring Economic Risks?

New York lawmakers passed a one-year moratorium on June 5, 2026, on permits for new large data centers with peak demand of at least 20 megawatts, sending the bill to Gov. Kathy Hochul, who has not committed to signing it.

New York lawmakers passed a one-year moratorium on June 5, 2026, on permits for new large data centers with peak demand of at least 20 megawatts, sending the bill to Gov. Kathy Hochul, who has not committed to signing it.

At least 75 data center projects worth roughly $130 billion were blocked or delayed nationwide in the first quarter of 2026, the highest total for any three-month period since tracking began in 2023, according to Data Center Watch.

At least 75 data center projects worth roughly $130 billion were blocked or delayed nationwide in the first quarter of 2026, the highest total for any three-month period since tracking began in 2023, according to Data Center Watch.

Maine Gov. Janet Mills vetoed a bill that would have imposed an 18-month moratorium on data centers using more than 20 megawatts of power, citing its failure to exempt a proposed $550 million redevelopment at the former Androscoggin Mill in Jay.

Maine Gov. Janet Mills vetoed a bill that would have imposed an 18-month moratorium on data centers using more than 20 megawatts of power, citing its failure to exempt a proposed $550 million redevelopment at the former Androscoggin Mill in Jay.

Compass Datacenters withdrew from the $24.7 billion Prince William Digital Gateway project in Virginia after courts invalidated zoning approvals over public notice failures, while QTS may still continue and a separate landowner lawsuit adds further uncertainty.

Compass Datacenters withdrew from the $24.7 billion Prince William Digital Gateway project in Virginia after courts invalidated zoning approvals over public notice failures, while QTS may still continue and a separate landowner lawsuit adds further uncertainty.

A Gallup poll found 71% of Americans oppose having AI data centers built in their area, with environmental concerns and higher utility bills cited as the leading reasons. Opposition has proven bipartisan, spanning conservative and liberal communities alike.

A Gallup poll found 71% of Americans oppose having AI data centers built in their area, with environmental concerns and higher utility bills cited as the leading reasons. Opposition has proven bipartisan, spanning conservative and liberal communities alike.

Moody's Ratings raised capital spending projections for the top six U.S. hyperscalers to $785 billion for 2026 and nearly $1 trillion for 2027, even as project cancellations jumped from six in 2024 to 25 in 2025 amid growing community resistance.

Moody's Ratings raised capital spending projections for the top six U.S. hyperscalers to $785 billion for 2026 and nearly $1 trillion for 2027, even as project cancellations jumped from six in 2024 to 25 in 2025 amid growing community resistance.

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Data center opponents blocked $130B in Q1 2026

Data center opponents blocked $130B in Q1 2026

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US Data Centers Face Bans, Backlash, and $130B in Delays

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US Data Centers Face Bans, Backlash, and $130B in Delays

US Data centerCenters opponentsFace blockedBans, Backlash, and $130B in Q1 2026Delays

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US Data Centers Face Bans, Backlash, and $130B in Delays

US Data centerCenters opponentsFace blockedBans, Backlash, and $130B in Q1 2026Delays

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