US data center expansion meets mounting local resistance

Growing backlash across the United States is slowing the rollout of new data centers needed for artificial‑intelligence computing. An Ipsos survey showed opposition to nearby data‑center projects rise from roughly 50 % to 70 % within months. According to Tom’s Hardware, citing Data Center Watch, about 75 projects valued at roughly USD 130 billion were delayed or cancelled in the first quarter of 2026—matching the total delayed value for all of 2025. By May 2026, nearly 70 municipalities had enacted restrictions or temporary bans; Seattle approved a one‑year moratorium affecting five proposals, while Maine’s attempt at a statewide ban was vetoed.

Similar concerns are driving city‑level actions in Ohio. Dayton officials have introduced a measure that would ban new data‑center construction, joining Springfield, Urbana and Xenia, which have recently moved against such projects. Ohio hosts over 200 data centers—the fifth‑largest total in the country—and electricity rates rose 11 % last year. Residents cite rising utility bills and added strain on transmission grids as reasons for the proposed ban.