Virginia and Texas lead the way, but they're becoming a major political fight.
Are AI data centers coming to your area?
This free, crowd-sourced tracker website is one of the most comprehensive attempts we’ve seen to keep tabs on where new data centers are being proposed. Maps are currently available across 18 states, with data compiled from public sources. You can read about the Data Center Proposal Tracker creator’s methodology here. [Image: Here’s a screenshot from the tracker showing sites around NYC. https://platform.theverge.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/04/Screenshot-2026-04-16-100907.jpg?quality=90&strip=all]
Exclusive: Americans Now Overwhelmingly Oppose New Data Centers Near Them
A new Heatmap Pro poll shows a rapid shift in public opinion since last fall.
Data Center Watch
Free weekly updates on the political risks facing American data center projects
‘The Most Bipartisan Issue Since Beer’: Opposition to Data Centers
Americans have soured on data centers, polls show, and the sentiment is profoundly bipartisan. How will that change our politics?
We mapped the world’s hottest data centers
In 21 countries, all data centers are located in climates that are too hot.
AI Data Centers: Big Tech's Impact on Electric Bills, Water, and More via @ConsumerReports
Massive data centers are gobbling up resources across the United States. The boom has just begun—and you may be paying for it.
As tech companies race to build data centers, more communities are pushing back
Concerns about electricity bills and local impacts are fueling bipartisan opposition to the massive data centers that power the digital economy, from cloud services to AI chatbots. In Wisconsin, as in other states, the tussles are personal – and fraught.
Rural America is resisting the surge in data center construction
Many rural communities are viscerally opposed to AI infrastructure.
Texans Are Fighting a 6,000 Acre Nuclear-Powered Datacenter
"They're being told that this is inevitable," a member of the 806 Data Center Resistance told 404 Media. "But Texas is this other beast."
Where Republicans and Democrats stand on AI data centers
Five charts exploring how Republicans and Democrats feel about AI data centers and what that might mean for the road ahead
The American People Really Hate Data Centers
There are at least five different core questions around data centers and their politics.
I think the data center backlash is mostly about data centers
It’s probably not your ideological thing, or mine. It’s about object-level claims about how data centers impact the communities where they’re built, many of which are wrong.
I think the data center backlash is mostly about data centers
It’s probably not your ideological thing, or mine. It’s about object-level claims about how data centers impact the communities where they’re built, many of which are wrong.
US views of how data centers affect the environment, energy costs, jobs and more
A broad majority of Americans have heard about data centers – the often-sprawling computing facilities that are popping up nationwide. But the public has mixed opinions about data centers’ impact…
Data Center Proposal Tracker
Explore data center proposals across the United States. Stay informed on AI-driven growth and infrastructure projects shaping the future.
Data Center Proposal Tracker
Explore data center proposals across the United States. Stay informed on AI-driven growth and infrastructure projects shaping the future.