This week’s headlines reinforce a trend that is becoming impossible to ignore: the push for greater oversight of data center development is accelerating—and it’s spreading well beyond the markets where opposition first emerged. From The New York Times’ investigation into Meta’s confidential $50 billion Louisiana deal to Loudoun County considering a pause on new applications in the world’s largest data center market, the conversation is increasingly centered on transparency, public trust, and local control. Meanwhile, […]

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Zoning In This week’s headlines make one thing unmistakably clear: community opposition has evolved from isolated local disputes into a coordinated national movement reshaping how—and whether—data centers are built. From 142 organized protests across 42 states to new moratoriums, zoning regulations, utility investigations, and a growing bipartisan political movement, communities are no longer asking whether data centers should be regulated—they’re demanding a meaningful seat at the table. The industry’s challenge has never been clearer: technical […]

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This week’s roundup once again highlights an increasingly costly mistake for data center developers: waiting too long to meaningfully engage the public. The industry has been warned for years that engagement needs to begin early—before rumors spread, opposition organizes, and residents feel decisions are being made behind closed doors. Yet we continue to see developers arrive with completed plans, controlled announcements, and little meaningful outreach. Even more troubling, some projects that have already faced lawsuits, […]

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