signalTechCrunch AI2026-09-23
Everyone can find a reason to dislike data center construction
A Data & Society report based on 18 months of fieldwork and 44 interviews in Pennsylvania finds that over 60% of Americans support limiting new data centers, with $68 billion in projects disrupted by local opposition in Q2 2026. While trade unions back these projects for jobs, resistance spans political divides, driven by distrust of "inevitable" AI narratives and industrial trauma, despite industry lobbying efforts like $19,000 spent by the Data Center Coalition.
- for who
- Policymakers, AI companies, and investors navigating data center siting conflicts
- what changes
- They must recognize opposition as organic, diverse, and rooted in local history, not foreign meddling or simple NIMBYism
- to do
- Read the full Data & Society report to inform community engagement strategies
key points
- 60% of Americans favor limiting new data centers
- $68B in projects disrupted by local opponents in Q2 2026
- Data & Society report: 18 months fieldwork, 44 Pennsylvania interviews
#data centers#social opposition#ai infrastructure
score
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