FOR THE WEEK OF MAY 18, 2026

Communities Push Back Against Massive AI Data Centers

Across the United States, growing numbers of residents are protesting the rapid expansion of artificial intelligence data centers. In Utah, hundreds of people gathered at a county meeting to oppose a proposed 40,000-acre AI data center campus near the Great Salt Lake. The project, backed by investor Kevin O’Leary, would include a massive data center and natural gas power plant designed to support AI technology and national defense work. Supporters say the project could create thousands of jobs and strengthen America’s technology industry, but many residents fear it could damage the environment, strain natural resources and permanently change rural communities.

Similar debates are happening in other states. In Red Oak, Texas, residents packed a city council meeting to protest an 830-acre data center project planned for farmland near schools and neighborhoods. Community members raised concerns about noise, electricity use, water demand and the long-term effects on quality of life. Despite hours of public criticism, city leaders approved the project and a tax break for developers. Across the country, communities in places such as Virginia, Pennsylvania, Wisconsin and North Carolina have also protested new data center construction, with some towns even considering bans or political action against local officials who support the developments.

The growing conflict over AI data centers is beginning to influence national politics as well. Republicans, Democrats and independent politicians have taken different positions on how quickly AI infrastructure should expand. Some leaders argue that building more data centers is necessary for economic growth, national security and competition with countries like China. Others warn that technology companies are growing too powerful and that communities are not being given enough information or protection before projects move forward. Rising electricity costs, environmental concerns and fears about AI’s influence on jobs and daily life are turning data centers into an issue that is drawing attention from voters across the political spectrum.

Experts say: “The question is: Will the jobs be worth the cost?” said Robert Davies, a Utah State University physics professor and expert in environmental change. “One needs to think about, ‘What kind of community do I want my children and grandchildren in 30 years from now, 50 years from now?’ Because this thing, as described and running it for 30 years, will utterly transform this valley.”

Locals says: "It's actually been a unifying issue that we haven't really seen before in a long time, because regardless of whether you're a Republican or a Democrat, you just don't want it," said Jennifer Corpus, who is organizing protests in the area.

Legislators say: “These companies need to come to the table understanding the harms their operations can cause the communities and to our grid and be accountable for that,” said Colorado State Senator Cathy Kipp, D-Fort Collins. Colorado lawmakers recently abandoned a last-minute effort to pass environmental regulations for data center development in the state, but Kipp—one of the bill’s sponsors—vowed to reintroduce the legislation next session.

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