This week’s Zoning In suggests the data center debate may be entering a new phase. Communities are no longer waiting for projects to arrive; they’re passing moratoriums, rewriting zoning codes, organizing recall efforts, commissioning studies, and, in some cases, outright banning data centers before proposals even materialize. At the same time, new polling and research reinforce something we’ve been saying for months: opposition is often less about rejecting technology itself and more about trust, transparency, […]

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This week’s Zoning In further underscores that community opposition to data centers remains organized, political, and increasingly mainstream. From Coachella’s supervisor rescinding support after backlash, to new moratoriums emerging in Texas, Ohio, New Mexico, and New York, communities are demanding greater transparency, more local control, and clearer answers around water usage, power demand, noise, and long-term infrastructure impacts. At the same time, a new Gallup poll showing that 7 in 10 Americans oppose data centers […]

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From Texas and Arizona to Massachusetts and New Jersey, this week’s Zoning In underscores how the data center debate has evolved far beyond isolated zoning disputes, with opposition now taking the form of lawsuits, moratoriums, coordinated grassroots campaigns, and growing political scrutiny at both the local and state levels. When developers fail to proactively educate, engage, and localize the conversation early, that vacuum is quickly filled by opposition groups, political pressure, and misinformation. Increasingly, the […]

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This week’s Zoning In is a reminder that the industry’s biggest risk isn’t always power, water, or even politics; it’s process. Case in point: this week’s data center meeting in Oklahoma that was cut short after the media was denied entry and residents’ questions went unanswered. Not only did it inflame concerns, but it also validated them. In an environment where trust is already thin, how you show up matters just as much as what […]

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This week’s Zoning In highlights a clear escalation in both outcomes and tone. Projects in places like Monterey Park and Archbald didn’t just face opposition—they were stopped altogether, with one withdrawn after sustained pressure and another denied outright. At the same time, public meetings across the country—from California to North Carolina—are becoming increasingly contentious, with some devolving into chaotic or emotionally charged forums. Layer on top of that the continued rise in moratoriums, legal challenges, […]

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This week’s Zoning In underscores a clear trend: local pushback is intensifying. From packed town halls in West Virginia and Iowa to moratorium discussions in Maine and North Carolina, one thing is clear—early engagement and transparency are no longer optional; they’re becoming prerequisites for getting projects across the finish line. Plans for new data center in Athens raise concern in community Athens-Clarke County extended its data center moratorium as officials and residents grapple with unknowns […]

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