Datacenter NIMBY Wave Impedes AI Buildout

Communities across multiple states are increasingly organizing to block large data‑center proposals, citing power strain, diesel backups, water use, noise and lost farmland. Data Center Watch counted ~20 projects worth $98B stalled in a recent quarter, and commercial developers report repeated local defeats and mobilization tactics (yard signs, door‑knocking, packed hearings). — Widespread local opposition to data centers threatens national AI and cloud strategy by delaying capacity, raising costs, forcing energy and permitting policy changes, and exposing a governance gap between federal technological ambition and local social consent.