Everyone can find a reason to dislike data center construction

Data & Society’s ethnographic study of 44 Pennsylvanians found that over 60% of Americans oppose new data centers, and $68 billion in projects were halted in Q2 2026 by local opposition. Residents cite historic industrial trauma and distrust of AI hype, while trade unions support projects for potential job creation. The study highlights a post-partisan, grassroots resistance that challenges industry claims of inevitable AI benefits.