Community Backlash to AI Data Centers Is Growing Across the U.S.

Data Center Projects Draw Local Responses in Multiple U.S. Communities

When Laura Beth moved to Coweta County, Ga., in 2023, she selected a property in a rural area distant from major roads and highways, with open land behind the residence. She has stated that her prior home experienced nearby commercial development, including a distribution center less than a mile away. Upon learning in early 2025 of a proposed hyperscale data center exceeding 4.9 million square feet that would extend near the property, she created a Facebook group titled “Stop Project Sail.” The group has grown to more than 8,000 members and has organized petition drives, yard signs, and legal challenges against the county and Atlas Development.

Coweta County Administrator Michael Fouts stated that the Board’s responsibility includes considering feedback from the county’s more than 160,000 residents. The Board approved Project Sail by a 3-2 vote on April 8, 2026, following rezoning of the site from Rural Conservation to Industrial. Those voting in favor cited projected long-term financial benefits. Atlas Development did not respond to requests for comment. The approval is expected to generate approximately $100 million in annual tax revenue at full build-out.

Similar local opposition has occurred in other locations. A Reuters poll conducted in June found that one-third of Americans approve of the current pace of data-center construction and 14 percent are comfortable with a facility located nearby. On July 18, protests took place in 142 locations across 42 states. A tally by The Information recorded more than 300 cities, towns, and counties, including Monterey Park, Calif., DeKalb County, Ga., and Jefferson County, Pa., that have enacted bans or moratoriums on hyperscale data centers. In the first quarter of 2026, 75 projects valued at more than $130 billion were delayed or canceled, with local opposition cited as a contributing factor. On July 14, New York Governor Kathy Hochul issued an executive order establishing a moratorium on new hyperscale data centers; Pennsylvania, Michigan, and South Carolina have considered comparable measures.

Data centers store and process digital information such as cloud-stored files and streamed video. Hyperscale facilities designed for higher performance, including AI workloads, have increased in number. John Farner of the Lincoln Institute of Land Policy noted that earlier data centers were smaller; current hyperscale projects are larger and require more resources. Bloomberg News reported that more than 160 new AI data centers have been built in the United States over the past three years, a 70 percent increase from the prior three-year period.

A mid-sized data center uses water volumes comparable to a small town; larger facilities can require up to 5 million gallons daily, equivalent to the usage of a city of 50,000 people. Data centers accounted for 4 percent of total U.S. electricity consumption in 2024, with demand projected to more than double by 2030. Electricity prices in states with high concentrations of data centers have risen by as much as 267 percent over five years, with costs sometimes passed to local ratepayers.

Coweta County resident Steve Swope, who uses well water, has expressed concern that construction could affect septic systems or groundwater quality. Residents in other areas have reported changes to well water after nearby data-center construction. In Newton County, Ga., Meta began a $750 million data center in 2018; reporting by the New York Times indicated impacts on local wells, higher municipal water prices, and a potential county water deficit by 2030. A study commissioned by Meta concluded that the project was unlikely to have affected the water supply.

Following approval of Project Sail, four additional data centers were proposed in Coweta County. In May the county adopted a moratorium on future projects. Resident Steve Swope described the timing as occurring after initial approvals had already advanced.

Laura Beth has stated that uncertainty about the project has affected decisions on home improvements. The family purchased the property as a fixer-upper but has delayed investments while considering relocation options. She noted that data centers are present in multiple regions and that properties with open land carry similar risks.

The Coweta County case illustrates the pattern of local review processes, resident organizing, and utility-demand considerations that have accompanied several hyperscale projects nationwide.