Communities and politicians push back on AI’s infrastructure boom

Across multiple U.S. states, residents and lawmakers are challenging the rapid expansion of AI-driven data centers over concerns about power use, water stress, and local impacts. From Spartanburg, South Carolina to working-class communities in Michigan and contested sites in Oklahoma, opposition is slowing or blocking projects and spurring calls for moratoria. Policy debates are emerging in places like Missouri, while national figures argue tech giants should shoulder more of the grid costs. Together, these fights spotlight the growing political and environmental stakes of AI’s physical footprint.