Over 300 U.S. Communities Have Banned or Paused New Data Centers Since 2023 as AI Buildout Faces Local Backlash

More than 300 U.S. communities have moved to ban or pause new data center construction since 2023, with 275 of those measures enacted this year alone, signaling a rapid escalation of local resistance to the physical footprint of the artificial intelligence boom. The surge in restrictions comes as demand for computing capacity strains local power grids, water supplies and farmland, prompting officials at every level of government to intervene.