# Data & Society report finds rising opposition to AI data centers in US

Digest AI · Policy & Regulation · published 2026-09-22T13:00:00Z

Canonical: https://digestai.news/story/data-society-report-finds-rising-opposition-to-ai-data-centers-in-us

## Summary

A new report from the nonprofit Data & Society, based on 18 months of ethnographic fieldwork and interviews with 44 Pennsylvanians, examines why communities are pushing back against AI data‑center construction. Surveys cited in the piece show that more than 60% of Americans favor limiting new data centers, and the longest‑running surveys indicate that this sentiment is growing quickly. Data Center Watch tracked $68 billion worth of data‑center projects disrupted by local opponents in the second quarter of 2026.

The report links the resistance to historic industrial trauma in Pennsylvania, noting that residents recall coal mining, steel manufacturing and fracking, which makes promises of an "inevitable" AI industrial revolution feel untrustworthy. While trade unions see potential jobs and have supported projects, the researchers say the opposition is diverse, including NIMBY concerns, environmental worries about water and emissions, and fears over power‑bill impacts. The Data Center Coalition, a trade group promoting projects, spent at least $19,000 lobbying the state last year. Governor Josh Shapiro, who highlighted $90 billion in data‑center and AI infrastructure investment at a 2025 summit, later signed an order adding new requirements and removing fast‑track status for such projects.

## Key points

- Over 60% of Americans favor limiting new data centers, according to surveys.
- Data Center Watch recorded $68 billion in data‑center projects disrupted in Q2 2026.
- Data & Society’s report draws on interviews with 44 Pennsylvania residents over 18 months.

## Why it matters

Public resistance to AI data centers could delay the infrastructure needed for AI scaling, prompting tighter regulation and reshaping industry investment strategies.

## Sources

1. [Everyone can find a reason to dislike data center construction](https://techcrunch.com/2026/09/22/everyone-can-find-a-reason-to-dislike-data-center-construction) (TechCrunch AI, 2026-09-22)

Part of the developing story: [AI Data Center Boom Sparks Job Debate](https://digestai.news/thread/verdant-warns-ai-data-center-boom-will-create-far-fewer-uk-jobs-than-techuk) (2 stories)

## Cite

Digest AI, "Data & Society report finds rising opposition to AI data centers in US", 22 September 2026, https://digestai.news/story/data-society-report-finds-rising-opposition-to-ai-data-centers-in-us

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