Community opposition to AI data centers has emerged as a prominent bipartisan issue in the 2026 U.S. midterm elections. [4, 10, 15] Voters across the country have raised concerns about the facilities’ energy and water use, possible increases in local utility bills, and environmental impacts. [5, 11] Recent polls show that a majority of Americans oppose building new data centers in their communities. [6, 9]
The backlash has prompted political action. In July, New York Governor Kathy Hochul enacted a first-in-the-nation, one-year moratorium on permits for new large-scale data centers. [3, 7, 12] Texas has also paused approvals for new projects. [13] On November 3, voters will decide on dozens of local ballot measures related to data center development, which could bring new restrictions on the industry’s expansion. [14]