As datacenters expand, so does public opposition to them

Anti-datacenter sentiment appears to be hardening in the US and UK, with more American jurisdictions blocking new builds and protesters marching against a planned facility in London's historic Brick Lane. A burst of new projects on both sides of the Atlantic has brought concerns about electricity bills, water supplies, and massive warehouse-like structures looming over nearby homes. More than 200 datacenter bans and moratoriums took effect in the US over the past 30 days, bringing the number of active restrictions nationwide to more than 550, according to The Information. New York became the first state to enact a moratorium last month, citing growing worries over the impact on utility rates and public health of the server farms, but its ban specifically targets large hyperscale facilities capable of consuming at least 50 MW. More recently, Texas governor Greg Abbott paused approvals for datacenter projects seeking access to the Electric Reliability Council of Texas (ERCOT) grid until state regulators have audited their connection requests. The trend was already visible earlier this year, when figures showed that data hall capacity under construction in primary US markets had declined during the second half of 2025 as community opposition increasingly disrupted planning approvals. A recent Gallup survey found the majority of Americans are now opposed to datacenters being built in their area, many so strongly opposed that they would sooner see a nuclear power plant built nearby. President Trump appears to be in two minds over the increasing antipathy towards giant server farms. Last month, he expanded his Ratepayer Protection Pledge, whereby companies agree to protect American consumers from any price hikes due to the extra energy and grid infrastructure needed. However, he also spoke out about the Texas decision, saying it would be a mistake to push back on datacenters, as "taxes are going to go way down because this is a tremendous source of income." That argument sits awkwardly alongside a report earlier this year that found datacenter tax breaks cost Texas at least $1 billion a year in forgone revenue, with other states also unable to show that their subsidies paid off. Like the Trump administration, the UK government sees building new datacenters as a vital part of its ambitions to grow the AI industry. Last year, it unveiled its AI Opportunities Action Plan, which includes setting up "AI Growth Zones" with streamlined planning processes to boost the building of more facilities. But last weekend, protesters marched along Brick Lane, just east of the City of London, over a wider redevelopment of sites on and around the former Truman Brewery. One element would replace derelict buildings on Grey Eagle Street with a 5,200 sq m (56,000 sq ft) datacenter designed for 5.2 MW of IT capacity. Tower Hamlets council failed to determine the applications within the required period, prompting the developers to appeal. Despite opposition from local campaigners, the government allowed all four appeals following a public inquiry. The decision found that the proposals broadly accorded with existing development plans, while acknowledging some conflicts with local planning policies and limited harm to heritage assets. It also took account of the National Planning Policy Framework, which directs local authorities to identify suitable sites for datacenters. That policy has already helped overturn at least one council's decision to refuse planning permission for a server farm at a site near Abbots Langley, Hertfordshire. More recently, there have been protests against a massive facility planned for the Devon countryside, near the town of Great Torrington, while a meeting held by Google with residents close to its newly built facility at Waltham Cross north of London revealed the level of anger and mistrust felt by many local people. Elsewhere, protesters in Amsterdam threw acid at a datacenter under construction there, while opposition to a proposed project in Indianapolis saw gunshots fired at the home of a councilor who backed the plans. The datacenter industry is well aware it has an image problem. An entire session was devoted to discussing what to do about it at the Datacloud Global Congress event in Europe last year. ®