Opposition to AI data centers surges across US as projects worth $130B face delays or cancellations

In early 2026, community groups opposing AI data centers began organizing at an unprecedented scale. From January to March alone, protesters blocked or delayed at least 75 projects in the US valued at $130 billion, according to a study by Data Center Watch, a research project backed by the AI security company 10a Labs. The number of active opposition groups more than doubled from 396 at the end of 2025 to 833 by the end of Q1 2026, spanning 49 states. Over 235,000 petition signatures were collected in that quarter alone.

Local pushback has already forced companies to abandon or downsize major projects. In January, QTS, a data center company owned by Blackstone, dropped plans to build a $12 billion campus in DeForest, Wisconsin, following protests from community members. A planned data center on a 580-acre campus in Delaware City faced roadblocks in March when local regulators determined the facility was prohibited under the state’s Coastal Zone Act, which blocks heavy industry on its shorelines. In July, opponents successfully blocked a QTS data center in Prince William County, Virginia, a project that would have spanned 2,000 acres in a state already contending with rising energy costs from data center buildouts.

Residents have also pressured high-profile backers to scale back proposals. Opponents challenged Shark Tank star Kevin O’Leary’s proposed 40,000-acre Project Stratos campus in Box Elder County, Utah, leading to demands for downsizing. These conflicts highlight concerns about rising energy costs, local water quality, noise and light pollution, and greenhouse gas emissions linked to AI data centers.

The backlash comes as commercial energy demand in the US is projected to surpass residential demand for the first time in 2026, with demand expected to double by 2027, according to the US Energy Information Administration. This surge in energy use is largely attributed to the AI data center buildout.

The political stakes are also rising. Data centers are a key part of President Donald Trump’s plan to accelerate the US AI race against China, which he outlined in an executive order signed last year to fast-track construction.