The story so far
A global buildout is landing
in local backyards.
Hundreds of data centers are breaking ground across the
country this year — the land bought, the water
permitted, and the power spoken for before most residents
hear a word.
They raise electric bills, drain groundwater, and hum around
the clock. Most are approved in rooms nobody knew to show
up to, by governments that treat the paperwork as a formality.
Residents keep finding out in time. 93 projects have been stopped
so far in 2026 alone. This is the public record of
the buildout — and how communities fight back.
