Data Center · U.S. · Donald Trump · Tom's Hardware
More than 75 data center build-outs worth $130 billion have been successfully blocked in the first three months of 2026
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Data center projects are being delayed nationwide as many opposition groups have successfully blocked their progress.
Key facts
- According to Data Center Watch, a boutique research firm tracking data center development, at least 75 data center projects worth around $130 billion have been blocked or delayed across the nation
- At least 69 local government units have enacted bans as of May 2026, with more joining the list since then
- In late 2025, an Ipsos survey showed that nearly half of Americans didn’t want a new data center project near their neighborhood
- However, this number jumped to 70% a few months later, indicating increasing resistance to data centers
Summary
This metric reflects the growing opposition to data centers across the United States. In late 2025, an Ipsos survey showed that nearly half of Americans didn’t want a new data center project near their neighborhood. These concerns have resulted in numerous moratoriums passed in different jurisdictions. Despite President Donald Trump’s push for AI development in the U.S., pushback against data centers has come from both sides of the aisle. The number of projects being blocked across the nation is concerning for both the federal government, which is competing against China to gain the edge in AI technology, and AI tech companies like Anthropic, which is struggling to gain access to more compute.