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More than 1,000 data-center projects are pending nationwide while the Trump administration promotes build-out as a strategic priority. Local governments in several states have enacted moratoriums, ballot measures, and zoning changes to address water, power, and noise concerns.
forbes.comMore than 1,000 data-center proposals are currently pending across the United States. The Trump administration has identified data-center build-out as a strategic priority and has promoted data-center capacity as a measure of American strength while signaling that federal regulations on data centers may be eased.
In April 2026, the Ypsilanti Community Utilities Authority near Detroit, Michigan, passed a year-long halt to the delivery, commitment, reservation, extension, or approval of water and sewer services for data centers.
The moratorium blocks a data-center project under development by the University of Michigan and Los Alamos National Laboratory. Towns across Ohio, Wisconsin, Maryland, Nevada, and California have placed data-center-related questions on local ballots. In Sunbury, Ohio, local officials considered a moratorium after public protests over a proposed data center.
In April 2026, voters in Festus, Missouri, removed several City Council members who had supported a new data center. In 2025, West Virginia passed a bill that reduces local governments’ zoning and regulatory powers over data centers and microgrids. A bill in the New Hampshire legislature that would have reduced local zoning and regulatory powers over data centers was defeated in May 2026.
Data-center developers sued Saline Township, Michigan, and Chatham County, North Carolina, seeking to overturn local zoning decisions. Officials in Hood County, Texas, rejected a proposal for a six-month moratorium after a state senator urged the Texas attorney general to intervene.
Nearby residents experience higher air pollution and excess noise from data centers, and data processing uses substantial water for cooling.
Electricity prices continue to outpace inflation, reflecting infrastructure investments needed to power the facilities. Technology companies claim that data centers bring jobs, economic revitalization, digital connectivity, and economic growth. Some counties and cities without specific zoning rules for data centers are using short-term moratoriums to consider new regulations on location, electricity use, water conservation, and noise buffering.
Local pushback occurs as Americans question the role of technology in daily life, including concerns over smartphone addiction, classroom digital tools, and AI-generated content. Rachel Mural, Senior Research Associate at Harvard Kennedy School, stated that communities are asking for a fair say in what their futures will be.
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