How Local Communities Are Challenging Big Tech Data Centers’ Noise Bills, Pollution and Electricity Increases

Yves here. One of the effects of neoliberalism is to stifle activism by weakening social relations, producing real or near distrust so that they struggle to make ends meet and lack the time and emotional energy to act, and often by creating employment costs. For example, an arrest, even if no charges are filed, can be difficult to get off the credit report; potential employers often ask for full access to social media accounts and reject “wrong” candidates. So it’s a welcome change to see the march of destructive data centers leading many ordinary Americans to develop their once atrophied planning muscles.

By Rachel Mural, Senior Research Associate in Environmental and Environmental Science, Technology, and Public Policy, Harvard Kennedy School. Originally published on The Conversation

As the race to build data centers across the United States gathers pace, local governments worry that the tech industry’s mantra of “move fast and break things” means their communities are at risk of being breached.

I’m a Harvard researcher studying the relationship between data centers and energy. I closely monitor how local governments respond to suggestions or concerns about the potential of data centers in their communities. What I discovered is a complex story of public needs, political tensions and corporate power – all interacting with local, state and national democratic processes.

Promises and Opportunities

Technology companies are constantly competing to be ready to provide data and communication services even before customer demand increases. Data centers already power Internet communications, shopping and banking systems. Now, the surge in demand for artificial intelligence has led to more than 1,000 pending data center proposals across the country.

Federal actions also drive development. The Trump administration has identified data center construction as a top priority. The administration promoted data center capacity as a measure of America’s power and indicated that federal regulations on data centers could be eased.

At the community level, technology companies say data centers bring jobs, economic revitalization, digital connectivity and economic growth to local communities.

Not Great Neighbors

Nearby residents experience high air pollution and high noise levels. Data processing uses a lot of water to cool buildings and their equipment.

At the same time, electricity prices continue to outpace inflation, burdening families across the country. These trends reflect, in part, the expensive infrastructure investments required to operate data centers.

Domestic Movement

My research found that local governments across the US are trying to avoid or minimize this damage.

Some states and cities that do not have specific zoning laws and regulations for data center development use a moratorium. This suspension of permits and data center construction gives communities time to think about how to define new rules and regulations regarding facility location, energy use, water conservation and noise reduction.

Speaking about his city’s decision to impose a one-year data center moratorium, Rick Bella, city council president in Merrillville, Indiana, about 40 miles southeast of Chicago, emphasized the desire to “assess the real-world impact and learn from the project that’s developing around it before deciding what may or may not be right for Merrillville.”

Some jurisdictions want to ban data centers altogether. In April 2026, for example, the Ypsilanti Community Utilities Authority near Detroit, Michigan, passed a year-long ban on “delivering, committing, reserving, extending, or approving water and sewer services” to data centers. The measure prevents data centers, including those being built by the University of Michigan and Los Alamos National Laboratory, from getting the water they need to operate.

Separately, towns across Ohio, Wisconsin, Maryland, Nevada and California have placed questions related to data centers on their local ballots. Through these polls, voters can measure building restrictions, tax incentives and zoning laws.

Power Struggle

While public attitudes toward data centers remain largely ambivalent, local and state officials don’t always see eye to eye.

For example, officials in Hood County, Texas, rejected a proposed six-month moratorium after a state senator urged the Texas attorney general to step in and block the measure.

In 2025, West Virginia passed a bill reducing local government planning and regulatory powers regarding data centers and microgrids. A similar bill in the New Hampshire legislature was defeated in May 2026.

Tech companies are also flexing their legal and financial muscles. For example, data center developers sued Saline Township, Michigan, and Chatham County, North Carolina, seeking to change their zoning decisions, so they could proceed with data center construction.

Changing the Water

The local pushback comes at an important time for artificial intelligence technologies themselves.

As seen in opposition to the rise of AI “slop,” backlash over AI-generated Super Bowl ads, concerns about an AI-related financial bubble and complaints about Google’s pivot to AI-directed search, Americans are looking to the role of AI in society.

In addition, many people question the role of technology in general. Growing numbers of teenagers and adults are addicted to their smartphones, emotionally and psychologically dependent on their availability. Parents and teachers question the usefulness of various types of digital technology in classrooms. Even the Pope has warned that technology must work for humanity – not the other way around.

The American people responded to this moment with the power of their voices and votes.

Technology companies can view the suspension and new regulations as a delay in project development. But town hall discussions, community organizations, public appeals and farmers’ unions show American democracy at work.

In Sunbury, Ohio, local officials considered a temporary moratorium only after seeing the scope of the public outcry over the proposed data center.

In April 2026, voters in Festus, Missouri, removed several members of the City Council after supporting a new data center despite concerns from residents.

The question of whether a community wants or should have a data center does not have a universal answer. I believe it is a question worthy of deliberate processes, transparency and consideration.

To me, these actions at the local level show a desire to slow down. There is little question that data centers and AI will be part of our collective future. Today, communities are asking to say what their future will be.