The year data centers went from backend to center stage | TechCrunch

"Over the past 12 months, data centers have inspired protests in dozens of states, as regional activists have sought to combat America's ever-increasing compute buildup. Data Center Watch, an organization tracking anti-data center activism, writes that there are currently 142 different activist groups across 24 states that are organizing against data center developments. Activists have a variety of concerns: the environmental and potential health impacts of these projects, the controversial ways in which AI is being used, and, most importantly, the fact that so many new additions to America's power grid may be driving up local electricity bills."

"Indeed, as the AI industry has swelled to dizzying heights, so, too, has the cloud computing business. Recent US Census Bureau data shows that, since 2021, construction spending on data centers has skyrocketed a stunning 331%. Spending on these projects totals in the hundreds of billions of dollars. So many new data centers have been proposed in recent months that many experts believe that a majority of them will not- and, indeed, could not possibly -be built."

Data centers have moved from invisible infrastructure to visible local controversies across the United States. Activists in dozens of states have organized against new data center developments, with Data Center Watch identifying 142 activist groups in 24 states. Primary concerns include environmental and potential health impacts, controversial AI uses, and rising local electricity bills due to new strains on power grids. Since 2021, construction spending on data centers has surged 331% according to US Census Bureau data, totaling hundreds of billions of dollars. Major tech companies continue significant capital expenditures, and many proposed facilities may never be built despite ongoing buildout momentum.

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