Data Center Vote Backlash

Protests against data centers have spread across Europe and the United States over their heavy consumption of electricity and water, as well as concerns about pollution, rising energy bills, and the marginalization of local communities. Nearly 90 protests took place in around 15 European countries. In U.S. local elections, voters backed restrictions on—or bans of—data center construction in 40 of 41 ballot initiatives, while a poll found that 72% oppose a new data center in their community. Data centers’ global electricity consumption rose by 17% in 2025 and is projected to increase from 485 to around 950 terawatt-hours by 2030. The article warns that moving facilities underwater could create new environmental risks, and stresses that continued expansion requires transparency, accountability, and a fairer distribution of its benefits and burdens.

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