Protests against data centers spread across the US amid growing citizen resistance

A growing wave of citizen opposition is manifesting in protests against the accelerated construction of data centers across the United States. On Saturday, activists planned demonstrations at at least 125 locations nationwide, marking the first coordinated national attempt to consolidate discontent over the expansion of artificial intelligence infrastructure. This expansion has surged over the past year, sparking local political conflicts.

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irresponsible

The protests are organized by the civic initiative HumansFirst, co-founded by a former leader of the Tea Party movement. They liken the growing resistance to data centers to the right-wing populist movement that emerged in 2009. Demonstrators are protesting what HumansFirst describes as the "irresponsible" construction of data centers and the "unacceptable infringement on our freedoms." Local officials have found themselves on the front lines, with some approving data center projects through non-disclosure agreements, often despite resident opposition or a lack of regulatory oversight.

Meanwhile, federal and state politicians are grappling with increasing voter dissatisfaction concerning potential rises in electricity bills, the diversion of precious water resources, and pollution. Opposition to data centers has emerged as a rare issue that transcends political affiliations in America. A June Reuters/Ipsos poll revealed that only one-third of Americans approve of the current pace of data center construction, with just 14% supporting a data center in their own community for AI projects by tech giants like Meta, Alphabet, Amazon, and Microsoft.

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unacceptable infringement on our freedoms

While the Data Center Coalition, an industry group, has not yet commented on the protests, they previously stated to Reuters that data centers are committed to being responsible community neighbors. Amy Kremer, a co-founder of HumansFirst, compared the movement to the early days of the conservative Tea Party in 2009 but emphasizes that opposition to data centers is not a partisan issue. "People just woke up one day and found out they were going to get this behemoth in their community, and they don't want it," Kremer said, predicting that data centers will become a key political issue in the upcoming November congressional elections and the 2028 presidential race. Kremer has criticized Republicans for giving "carte blanche" to big tech companies, but like some organizers, she does not support measures like a moratorium on new data center approvals, a policy adopted by the Democratic state of New York.

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People just woke up one day and found out they were going to get this behemoth in their community, and they don't want it.