Opposition to data centers has become a threat to the computing capacity America’s AI buildout requires. In a Gallup poll conducted in March, 71% of adults opposed a data center near them — far more than the 53% who opposed a nearby nuclear plant. Data Center Watch counted at least 75 projects worth roughly $130 billion delayed or blocked in the first quarter of 2026, as many as in all of 2025.

Concerns about noise, water, power bills, and artificial intelligence itself matter. But the backlash also reflects a simpler failure: Local governments collect enormous data-center windfalls while residents struggle to identify what they received in return.

America is having the wrong data center conversation — and its shooting us in the foot

Your power bill is paying for Silicon Valley’s AI obsession

Anthropic’s greed is handing the AI race to China

Ordinary development brings both revenue and service demands. New housing, for example, brings families who use schools and roads. Data centers employ relatively few people after construction, yet........

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