Why are towns pushing back against AI data centers?

Towns are pushing back against AI data centers because a very large building can change daily life for the people next to it, and some residents say they were told little and offered little in return. According to an encyclopedia account, organized opposition has been driven by concerns about increased energy use, energy costs, noise, air pollution and water waste. A Gallup poll in March 2026 showed that 70% of US respondents opposed building new AI data centers in their neighborhood.

Opposition usually happens in a small, local place: a zoning meeting. In Peculiar, Missouri, residents attended planning and zoning meetings in large numbers and lobbied councilors, and the city council unanimously rejected a proposal in September 2024. In Goodyear and Buckeye, Arizona, a $14 billion project was withdrawn after local authorities blocked the rezoning it needed.

There are two sides to the argument. In Catlett, Virginia, opponents cited pressure on water and power, noise and the loss of heritage buildings, while supporters cited jobs and $20 million in local tax revenue. In Powhatan County, Virginia, supervisors approved a data center in October 2025 because of the tax revenue it would bring, even though their planning commission had recommended denial.

The story is still moving, and the figures here are dated. What lasts is the pattern: big building, small town, and a fight over who pays and who benefits.