Data · Ars Technica
Satellite and drone images reveal big delays in US data center construction
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Silicon Valley has been pouring hundreds of billions of dollars into building ever-larger AI data centers that require as much electricity as hundreds of thousands of US homes—but that massive buildout faces significant construction and power challenges along with growing local resistance.
Key facts
- Maine legislators recently became the first to pass an 18-month moratorium on approvals for new data centers requiring more than 20 megawatts of power, although Maine Governor Janet Mills must still
- The Trump administration responded to concerns about the energy costs surrounding data centers in March 2026 by announcing major tech companies as having signed on to a Ratepayer Protection Pledge
- Now satellite imagery is showing that nearly 40 percent of US data center projects may fail to be completed this year as scheduled
- Tariffs on imported Chinese equipment such as transformers have only made the situation worse for Silicon Valley’s AI ambitions
Summary
Now satellite imagery is showing that nearly 40 percent of US data center projects may fail to be completed this year as scheduled. Construction executives involved with OpenAI projects specifically mentioned not having enough tradespeople, such as electricians and pipe fitters, to work on multiple data center projects. Tariffs on imported Chinese equipment such as transformers have only made the situation worse for Silicon Valley’s AI ambitions.