Ferguson Lawsuit Alleges Fake Online Campaign to Secure Data Center Tax Breaks
A former employee alleges attorney and developer James Onder orchestrated a campaign using bots, fabricated comments and exaggerated crime stories to influence support for his Ferguson, Missouri, data center. The allegations, which Onder declined to address through his attorneys, come as residents pursue a referendum challenging the project’s approved tax breaks.
Georgia Residents Sue OpenAI, Alleging Secrecy and Racketeering in Data Center Deal
A second lawsuit targeting Project Camellia in Effingham County alleges OpenAI, local officials and other parties concealed key decisions before residents could weigh in. The complaint includes civil conspiracy and Georgia RICO claims. Plaintiffs’ attorneys frame the case as a demand for transparency and accountability in project approvals; the allegations remain unproven.
Virginia Conservation Coalition Calls for Statewide “Pause to Protect”
A coalition of Virginia environmental organizations is urging lawmakers to halt new data center construction until enforceable safeguards are established. Its platform calls for public water and energy disclosures, ratepayer protections, clean power and limits on impacts to water supplies and sensitive land. The campaign adds coordinated pressure ahead of the 2027 legislative session.
Tennessee Residents Mobilize Before a Data Center Proposal Reaches the Agenda
Residents packed a Piperton planning commission meeting to oppose potential data centers in Tennessee’s Fayette County—even though no project was officially on the agenda. Reports of survey crews near I-269 and Macon Road have fueled concern. City officials say rules will precede any project review, but some neighbors are already demanding an outright ban.
Sutton, MA Residents Push Back Against $16 Billion Kraft Data Center Plan
A proposed data center campus from the Kraft Group and Unified Global Packaging Group drew sharp opposition at a Sutton, Massachusetts, select board meeting. Residents questioned the project’s roughly 900-megawatt power demand, undisclosed water needs and potential noise. Town leaders are weighing possible tax benefits against community concerns, with the board chair expressing substantial skepticism.
Fort Worth Panel Proposes Water Disclosures, Residential Buffers and Enforceable Noise Limits
Fort Worth’s data center advisory commission delivered 19 recommendations covering water, electricity, land use and economic impacts. Proposals include cooling systems designed to minimize water consumption, public water-use disclosures and a minimum 350-foot residential setback. The debate now turns to translating those recommendations into enforceable rules, with some council members already seeking larger buffers.
Georgia’s McIntosh County Adds Public Review Before Data Centers Arrive
McIntosh County will now require special use permits for data centers, adding a public hearing and opportunities to impose conditions on noise, water and electricity. With no applications currently pending, officials describe the change as a stopgap while they develop broader policies—an effort to close regulatory gaps before a developer comes forward.
New Jersey Data Center Opposition Builds Across Generations—and Town Lines
More than 150 people packed a Princeton church to challenge the draft air permit for Bloomberg’s South Brunswick data center. Organizers questioned how backup generator emissions were calculated and pressed for greater disclosure about water and energy use. With opposition spreading across neighboring communities, activists are combining public pressure, permit challenges and litigation.
Texas Governor-Elect Calls for Data Center Pause Over Water and Power Concerns
Texas Gov.-elect Gina Hinojosa is calling for a moratorium on data center development while lawmakers establish community protections. Her proposal focuses on water demand, power infrastructure and rural areas with limited development controls. The scope and path forward remain unclear, but the push signals a potentially consequential shift for a major data center market.
Alabama Neighbors Weigh Whether to Fight a Data Center—or Leave
As clearing advances for a $14.5 billion QTS campus, nearby Alabama residents describe feeling powerless to influence the development reshaping their surroundings. Marketplace’s reporting captures the personal stakes behind the infrastructure boom: disappearing wooded buffers, frustration with local leadership and difficult decisions about whether to stay. A new mayor’s request for a construction pause has not stopped the work.
After the Midterms, Community Consent Moves Up the Data Center Risk Agenda
An Ashurst Perkins Coie analysis argues that election results have made community acceptance an increasingly important constraint alongside access to power. With proposed moratoriums, ratepayer protections and local restrictions reshaping development risk, the firm urges developers to engage early, make binding water commitments and negotiate community benefit agreements before submitting permit applications.
Minneapolis Weighs Strict Data Center Limits as Moratorium Nears Its End
Minneapolis officials are weighing rules that would confine data centers to existing buildings downtown and in the North Loop, cap facilities at 150,000 square feet and require energy and water disclosures. The debate pits concerns about neighborhood impacts against hopes of filling vacant commercial space, with a temporary development moratorium expiring November 21.
Arizona’s Data Center Debate Tests Democrats’ New Governing Majority
Arizona Democrats agree that data centers need stronger oversight, but a proposed statewide moratorium is exposing differences with Gov. Katie Hobbs, who has opposed a pause. Lawmakers are also exploring renewable energy requirements, restrictions on nondisclosure agreements and protections against shifting infrastructure costs to residents. Community benefit agreements and tax incentives are part of the discussion.
San Jose Considers Approval Pause to Keep Projects From Beating New Rules
San Jose’s mayor and several council members want to pause data center approvals until new development standards and community benefit requirements take effect. The proposed rules address carbon-neutral electricity, utility-use reporting and sewer monitoring. The pause could affect Google’s planned 250-megawatt facility, while community groups continue pressing for stronger noise and air-quality protections.
Data Center Permitting Fight Reaches Schumer’s Doorstep
Environmental activists planned a rally outside Sen. Chuck Schumer’s Manhattan office to oppose federal legislation that would accelerate data center approvals. The dispute brings familiar local concerns about electricity demand, water and pollution into the national permitting debate, where supporters argue faster development is essential to U.S. competitiveness in AI.
