The first quarter of 2026 produced the most blocked and delayed data center projects on record, according to a new study shared with NBC News.Subscribe to read this story ad-free Get unlimited access to ad-free articles and exclusive content.The study — conducted by Data Center Watch, a project of the AI intelligence firm 10a Labs that tracks local data center activity — found that data center opponents blocked or delayed at least 75 projects nationwide worth about $130 billion from January through March, the most in a three-month period since the group began tracking in 2023.“The quarter reflected a structural shift rather than a cyclical spike: communities have internalized an opposition playbook, legislative sessions introduced formal regulatory uncertainty, and the number of active opposition groups more than doubled to 833 across 49 states,” the authors wrote, noting that the total number and value of data centers blocked or delayed during the first three months of 2026 roughly matched the total for all of 2025.Data center construction has become a major political issue, with groups of residents opposed to the effects the large developments have on energy consumption and the environment, among other concerns.Leaders in both parties, who largely welcomed the investments in their states, are recalibrating their approaches.
Data center proponents, meanwhile, have said the concerns are overblown or based on faulty data and have promoted the economic benefits generated by the developments, which are needed to power the AI boom.The report found that legislative pushes for moratoriums on constructing data centers ballooned during the first quarter of 2026, sponsored by lawmakers on both sides of the aisle.The report found such proposals introduced in 14 states from January through March, with Sen.
Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., and Rep.Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., introducing a federal version.Though none of the proposals has been signed into law, one did r...