Political opposition to data centers mounts in US and abroad

While roughly 300-plus state and local moratoriums are threatening the US buildout, governments’ ambitions to harness the AI boom elsewhere are also facing hurdles. A competitive Texas governor’s race could shape the future of one of the biggest US data center markets, as opposition to the AI buildout goes global. Republican Gov. Greg Abbott has scrambled to revise his earlier pro-data center policies, while his Democratic opponent has pledged a stringent moratorium, which could affect about 29% of the net capacity additions planned nationally for 2028. While roughly 300-plus state and local moratoriums are threatening the US buildout, governments’ ambitions to harness the AI boom elsewhere are also facing hurdles: The developer of a massive data center in the Australian outback scrapped its construction timeline after the regulator extended its review period, and Singapore-linked projects in Indonesia have run into stiff opposition from environmentally concerned locals.