Overview
- Industry groups and wealthy backers have launched a multimillion-dollar, targeted ad campaign to promote AI data centers in battleground states such as Ohio, Wisconsin and Kansas.
- National polls show large public resistance to local builds, with an NBC News Decision Desk survey finding about 69% of respondents oppose new data centers in their communities.
- State officials have moved to slow projects with measures including New York’s one-year moratorium, Texas audits and new utility rules that raise costs for developers or delay grid hookups.
- President Trump and pro‑tech political operatives are publicly defending data centers and using the issue in campaign messaging to argue they bring jobs and keep AI research in the U.S.
- Local impacts driving the backlash include heavy electricity and water use, noise and limited long-term jobs, and investors now view permitting and grid interconnection delays as material risks to projects.