The Q2 2025 Data Center Watch Report documents a dramatic escalation in political and community resistance to data center projects. In just three months, 20 projects representing $98 billion in potential investment were blocked or delayed, exceeding all disruptions tracked. Data centers, the hubs for server processing artificial intelligence-generated content across the internet, have faced pushback from communities in recent years. What's happening? Local opposition, which creates awareness among investors, stems from research by Miquel Vila, a supply chain and. Data centers, which house computer systems that help train AI models, are blanketing the country, a boom fueled by surging interest in AI and state tax breaks. More than 4,000 are already in operation, mostly in Virginia, Texas, and California, and 3,000 more are being planned or under. TL;DR: $64 billion in U. data center projects have been blocked or delayed by a growing wave of local, bipartisan opposition. The proposed moratoriums all target new facilities and are often paired with requirements to study the impacts of data centers. Community approval? This is where deals are stalling.
[PDF Version]