Across the United States, residents are increasingly pushing for moratoriums on new datacenters and seeking to recall elected officials who approve such projects, driven by concerns over secrecy, resource consumption, and environmental impact.
Secrecy Sparks Outrage in Michigan
In Lenox Township, Michigan, a website promoting a proposed datacenter campus went live in May, but did not disclose the developer. Township officials denied any application had been made. Emails obtained by residents through open records requests revealed that developers had contacted the township supervisor and deputy supervisor for support. The perceived secrecy led to packed public meetings lasting over four hours, and residents submitted a petition to recall four members of the Lenox board of trustees.
“The community still has questions that aren’t being answered and the public deserves to have transparency,” a resident said at a June board meeting after trustees declined to extend a four-month moratorium on datacenter development.
Growing Opposition Across States
Similar efforts are underway in states including California, Florida, Michigan, Missouri, Oklahoma, Oregon, and Texas. During the first quarter of 2026, at least 75 datacenter projects worth about $130bn were blocked or delayed, according to Data Center Watch. This matches the total for all of 2025.
“It reflects the growing anxiety about AI writ large,” said Evan Sutton, a Seattle resident who has voluntarily helped datacenter opponents in 10 states. “People feel like this technology is being shoved down our throats.”
Resource and Environmental Concerns
The US has over 4,400 datacenters, according to Data Center Map. One center can consume as much electricity as 2,000 homes, per a University of Michigan report. They require water for cooling; a typical datacenter uses 300,000 gallons daily, equivalent to about 1,000 households, while large centers can use 5 million gallons daily, equal to a town of 10,000 to 50,000 residents, according to the Environmental and Energy Study Institute. This strains local water supplies and electric grids, leading to infrastructure upgrades and higher consumer costs.
Neighbors often complain about constant humming from cooling systems and air pollution. Developers frequently operate clandestinely, with non-disclosure agreements (NDAs) hiding the tech firm behind projects. Among 31 Virginia localities with datacenters, 80% had NDAs, the Virginia Mercury reported.
Bipartisan Unity
Opposition unites Democrats and Republicans. “Many Democrats are deeply concerned about energy use and polluting electricity, like coal-fired power plants,” said Anthony Leiserowitz, director of the Yale Program on Climate Change Communication. “Republicans are concerned about economic consequences, especially on electricity bills.”
In Festus, Missouri, where Donald Trump won 67% of the vote in 2024, residents filed a petition to recall the mayor and three council members over a $6bn datacenter agreement with CRG Clayco. The developer had shifted from St Charles, where residents voted to ban datacenters. The developer would not reveal the operating tech company.
“The company usually goes public only after the decisive votes have been taken,” said Michael Bommarito, author of How to Fight a Data Center.
The Festus city council approved the agreement, including a five-year tax abatement. The mayor said it would provide “tremendous benefits”. A judge ruled voters had enough signatures for a recall election, but the council rejected the petition. Resident Dennis McDonald filed a legal challenge.
“If the community says we want to be involved and you just don’t involve them, it ends up building into where we are at now,” said McDonald, a history teacher and former Democratic candidate.
Oklahoma and Other States
In Yukon, Oklahoma, Republican Joe Horn filed a petition to recall the mayor and vice-mayor over a proposed $1bn datacenter. “We already ration water here in Yukon,” Horn said. “At what cost are we going to have this huge industrial building right across the street from one of our most beautiful neighborhoods?”
After the petition, Vice-Mayor Jeff Wootton resigned. In nearby Luther, the mayor had signed an NDA with Beltline Energy, but the city council passed a six-month moratorium after seeing backlash in Yukon. Wootton said the datacenter could bring economic benefits, and “the intent was never to conceal information from the public indefinitely.”
Industry Pushback and Misinformation
Despite some Republican opposition, the Trump administration has pushed for fast datacenter construction. Investors and Republicans have claimed Chinese Communist party propaganda drives resistance. Kevin O’Leary, a Shark Tank star, claimed opponents of his Utah project were fueled by China, but later admitted no evidence. Fox News hosts issued on-air apologies for airing his claims.
In Lenox Township, the website Lenoxdatacenter.com was powered by One Click Politics, and the account was linked to Sabrina Bachwich, COO of Grassroots Midwest. Bachwich denied creating the site but stopped responding when provided evidence. The campaign has since ended, with the website stating: “This campaign has ended and is no longer taking action.”
