The backlash against AI data centers and their power and water costs

Key momentsthe most covered; every story is below

Who covered it, over timeindependent sources per week, by side

LeftCenterRight

Point at or tap a week to see its count by side.

Stories before June 28, 2026 come from archived pages, so who covered them is limited to the outlets we recovered for that period.

29% left · 42% center · 29% right of 255 independent sources among the outlets we track, across 77 stories.

Every storyoldest first

1. January 2026

   Jan 13Trump says that Microsoft will 'ensure' Americans don't 'pick up the tab' for its data center power consumption7 articles · 6 independent sources

   2 left, 1 center, 2 right

2. February 2026

   Feb 25Trump tells tech giants to power their own AI ambitions7 articles · 6 independent sources

   1 left, 0 center, 5 right

3. March 2026

   Mar 11Virginia has a data center boon. Officials debate whether it’s time to scrap its tax breaks7 articles · 7 independent sources

   1 left, 2 center, 1 right
4. Mar 25Sanders, Ocasio-Cortez push bill to impose AI data center moratorium11 articles · 11 independent sources

   2 left, 2 center, 2 right

5. April 2026

   Apr 14– 16Maine Could Be the First State to Pass a Temporary Ban on New Large Data Centers15 articles · 15 independent sources

   6 left, 2 center, 5 right
6. Apr 23– 25Maine's governor vetoes nation's first state moratorium on data centers17 articles · 13 independent sources

   5 left, 3 center, 1 right

7. July 2026

   Jul 1– 3Gov. Greg Abbott calls for ban on data center development in rural Texas neighborhoods27 articles · 16 independent sources

   1 left, 4 center, 2 right
8. Jul 2Heat adds to strains on areas with data centers, raising the temperature on AI debates12 articles · 11 independent sources

   0 left, 3 center, 0 right
9. Jul 7– 9Prince William County board rejects data center proposal6 articles · 5 independent sources

   1 left, 3 center, 1 right
10. Jul 7– 9Oregon data centers face sharp electricity rate hike under new law6 articles · 6 independent sources

    1 left, 2 center, 3 right
11. Jul 8– 11Data centers have moved into rural America. So have the concerns.11 articles · 10 independent sources

    2 left, 6 center, 1 right
12. Jul 11– 13As gas plants rise to power AI data centers, renewable energy allies are fighting for alternatives11 articles · 11 independent sources

    0 left, 1 center, 1 right
13. Jul 12– 15Data centers become flashpoint in gubernatorial races13 articles · 6 independent sources

    0 left, 2 center, 0 right
14. Jul 14– 20New York governor orders first statewide data center moratorium107 articles · 64 independent sources

    17 left, 15 center, 19 right
15. Jul 14– 15‘More bad news’ for people struggling with energy bills: AI data centers are driving costs even higher5 articles · 5 independent sources

    1 left, 2 center, 2 right
16. Jul 15– 19Americans are angry about data centers. Politicians are feeling the pressure15 articles · 9 independent sources

    1 left, 3 center, 5 right
17. Jul 15Dozens of protests against AI data centers set for this weekend: What to know16 articles · 5 independent sources

    0 left, 3 center, 0 right
18. Jul 15– 19‘Shark Tank’ Star Kevin O’Leary Sued After Claiming Data Center Critics Had Connections With China8 articles · 7 independent sources

    1 left, 1 center, 2 right
19. Jul 17– 20As backlash swells, data center protests go national21 articles · 13 independent sources

    2 left, 5 center, 3 right
20. Jul 19– 23Americans Are Increasingly Turning on Data Centers21 articles · 14 independent sources

    2 left, 4 center, 5 right
21. Jul 20– 21Florida GOP lawmaker and governor candidate says AI data center legislation keeps utility costs down17 articles · 17 independent sources

    1 left, 3 center, 2 right
22. Jul 23– 27Trump expands a voluntary pledge to protect consumers from high utility bills from AI data centers83 articles · 44 independent sources

    7 left, 9 center, 10 right
23. Jul 23– 24Democrats try to harness data center backlash that's dividing rural Republicans in places like Texas24 articles · 21 independent sources

    0 left, 3 center, 0 right
24. Jul 24– 28Texas lawmakers reconsider tax incentives for data centers10 articles · 8 independent sources

    0 left, 7 center, 1 right
25. Jul 24– 25Mapping rural data center development finds growing opposition6 articles · 6 independent sources

    0 left, 1 center, 0 right
26. Jul 28Democrat’s TV ad targets data centers in drive to oust Republican from swing Pennsylvania House seat12 articles · 12 independent sources

    1 left, 2 center, 1 right
27. Jul 28– 30Willie Nelson speaks out on proposed data centers in Texas26 articles · 12 independent sources

    3 left, 5 center, 4 right
28. Jul 29– 30Trump administration is repurposing federal land for AI data centers6 articles · 5 independent sources

    2 left, 0 center, 1 right
29. Jul 30– 31Data center boom sparks battle over power costs, new regulations5 articles · 5 independent sources

    0 left, 2 center, 1 right

30. August 2026

    Aug 3– 6Americans are rallying against data centers. Surprisingly few are actually getting built8 articles · 8 independent sources

    2 left, 2 center, 1 right
31. Aug 3– 8Gov. Abbott touts data center company support for audit, pause of new data center approvals47 articles · 28 independent sources

    1 left, 9 center, 7 right
32. Aug 3– 10Ohio governor candidates weigh in on data center issue11 articles · 5 independent sources

    2 left, 1 center, 2 right
33. Aug 4– 5How ICE and a data center turned a small Pittsburgh suburb into a civic battleground5 articles · 5 independent sources

    0 left, 1 center, 0 right
34. Aug 7– 10Trump calls Texas’ data center opposition a ‘mistake’18 articles · 10 independent sources

    1 left, 3 center, 0 right
35. Aug 9– 11Opposition to local data centers rises sharply, Annenberg survey finds6 articles · 6 independent sources

    2 left, 2 center, 2 right
36. Aug 10– 11US tech leaders stage data center charm offensive5 articles · 5 independent sources

    2 left, 2 center, 1 right
37. Aug 11North Dakota lawmaker eyes data center transparency, temporary moratorium for special session5 articles · 5 independent sources

    0 left, 0 center, 1 right
38. Aug 11– 12Johnson regulates Chicago data centers, wants moratorium5 articles · 5 independent sources

    1 left, 1 center, 1 right
39. Aug 12– 17Texas will audit up to 300 projects, mostly data centers, after Gov. Greg Abbott’s order6 articles · 5 independent sources

    1 left, 1 center, 2 right
40. Aug 17– 22Tech bros can't agree on why everyone hates data centers9 articles · 6 independent sources

    2 left, 1 center, 3 right
41. Aug 18– 22Local people react to Gov. Shapiro’s executive order on data centers28 articles · 22 independent sources

    3 left, 10 center, 3 right
42. Aug 18– 19Governors’ races are being increasingly buffeted by the toxic politics of data centers10 articles · 10 independent sources

    0 left, 3 center, 0 right
43. Aug 18– 21Rage Against the Data Centers12 articles · 10 independent sources

    5 left, 3 center, 3 right
44. Aug 19– 24Rising data center backlash shakes up midterm races18 articles · 11 independent sources

    2 left, 4 center, 3 right
45. Aug 19– 21Trump keeps embracing data centers even as they become toxic in midterm races10 articles · 10 independent sources

    2 left, 1 center, 1 right
46. Aug 21– 23MAHA activists urge Trump against promoting coal to power energy-hungry AI data centers10 articles · 9 independent sources

    3 left, 1 center, 0 right
47. Aug 21– 24Data Center Backlash Brings Thousands of Projects to a Screeching Halt8 articles · 8 independent sources

    2 left, 0 center, 5 right
48. Aug 21– 26Data Centers Know They Have an Image Problem. They're Trying to Fix It.10 articles · 10 independent sources

    3 left, 4 center, 4 right
49. Aug 23Texas Governor Abbott Says Data Centers 'Dug Their Own Grave'5 articles · 5 independent sources

    2 left, 1 center, 2 right
50. Aug 24– 25Paxton unveils data center plan, joining other GOP candidates in calling for restrictions7 articles · 6 independent sources

    0 left, 2 center, 3 right
51. Aug 25– 26EPA moves to curb public input on data centers7 articles · 7 independent sources

    3 left, 0 center, 0 right
52. Aug 26– 28Opposition to AI data centers unites the left and right17 articles · 12 independent sources

    0 left, 3 center, 0 right
53. Aug 26– 31Beware of the moral panic over data centers for AI11 articles · 6 independent sources

    1 left, 2 center, 2 right
54. Aug 26– 27Data centers in North Dakota have received millions in sales tax breaks5 articles · 5 independent sources

    0 left, 1 center, 1 right
55. Aug 28X reveals foreign adversary behind fake accounts disseminating anti-data center messaging9 articles · 9 independent sources

    1 left, 1 center, 6 right
56. Aug 28– Sep 4The hidden environmental cost of AI data centers21 articles · 16 independent sources

    4 left, 3 center, 7 right
57. Aug 31– Sep 7As Trump pushes for data centers, voters in key midterm races say they don’t want them40 articles · 35 independent sources

    9 left, 8 center, 12 right
58. Aug 31– Sep 4Trump Says Places Opposing Data Centers Will Live In ‘Poverty, Crime And Squalor’49 articles · 30 independent sources

    9 left, 6 center, 6 right
59. Aug 31I feel your pain vs. ‘let Data Reign’: How Trump and his VP are out of step on data centers6 articles · 6 independent sources

    0 left, 1 center, 0 right

60. September 2026

    Sep 3– 4EPA proposal could leave the public in the dark on data center plans30 articles · 24 independent sources

    1 left, 3 center, 0 right
61. Sep 7– 13Westerman says data centers get ‘bad rap,’ and issues can be resolved when everyone is ‘on their A game’10 articles · 10 independent sources

    4 left, 5 center, 2 right
62. Sep 8– 9Healey signs order requiring data centers to receive local approval10 articles · 9 independent sources

    4 left, 5 center, 0 right
63. Sep 9States are rolling back the billion-dollar tax breaks they gave to data centers6 articles · 6 independent sources

    2 left, 1 center, 1 right
64. Sep 12– 18House passes bill aimed at addressing impact of data centers on energy costs47 articles · 33 independent sources

    9 left, 10 center, 9 right
65. Sep 13– 18Data centers, AI increasingly become issue for elections14 articles · 12 independent sources

    4 left, 2 center, 5 right
66. Sep 13– 15Data center disaster as 5,000 gallons of diesel spill into New Jersey wetlands8 articles · 7 independent sources

    2 left, 2 center, 2 right
67. Sep 14– 16Loudoun County moves closer to data center pause8 articles · 5 independent sources

    0 left, 4 center, 1 right
68. Sep 14– 15Philadelphia faces calls for a data center moratorium amid spreading AI fear and talk of a slowdown8 articles · 7 independent sources

    1 left, 5 center, 0 right
69. Sep 14– 17Gov. Greg Abbott orders Texas water agency to penalize data centers that don’t report their water usage18 articles · 15 independent sources

    2 left, 7 center, 1 right
70. Sep 18– 19Spanberger seeks tighter controls on Virginia data centers12 articles · 9 independent sources

    3 left, 5 center, 1 right
71. Sep 20Latino voters, data centers and Republican problems are giving Texas Democrats their highest hopes in 20 years6 articles · 6 independent sources

    0 left, 1 center, 0 right
72. Sep 21– 23Texas is halting all data center environmental permits amid grid audit13 articles · 12 independent sources

    3 left, 6 center, 3 right
73. Sep 21– 23Newsom signs bills to regulate data center industry, criticizes Trump for inaction9 articles · 8 independent sources

    2 left, 6 center, 0 right
74. Sep 22– 23NJ slaps data center with record $1.07 million fine for air pollution violations5 articles · 5 independent sources

    1 left, 4 center, 0 right
75. Sep 22– 24Voters don't like data centers. They really don't like them close to home7 articles · 6 independent sources

    3 left, 0 center, 3 right
76. Sep 23Maryland governor signs executive order establishing new framework for data center development5 articles · 5 independent sources

    1 left, 4 center, 0 right
77. Sep 24Hundreds of Texas data centers under investigation after failing to report water usage10 articles · 7 independent sources

    1 left, 3 center, 2 right