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AI data center bans are rapidly multiplying across the US — 69 jurisdictions block new builds, with four moves noted as permanent
The number of bans being enacted against data centers is increasing across the U.S., with one tracker listing 14 new bans from March to April. According to the U.S. Data Center Moratorium Tracker, there are currently 50 active bans across different jurisdictions, with an addition of four local governments enacting a permanent ban in their area of responsibility. There are also three proposed bans, plus several more in various stages, including those in the process of creating a new ban, exploring the possibility of a ban, and some with expired bans.
Many AI hyperscalers in the U.S. are rushing to build data centers across the nation, especially as they rush to become the dominant force in AI. However, this unbridled investment in data centers is resulting in shortages of various resources. We’re currently in the midst of a massive memory and storage chip shortage, and we soon might see a CPU shortage, especially as AI inference workloads increase. However, the construction of AI data centers has a direct impact on the communities that surround them, especially when it comes to increased electricity costs and noise and air pollution.
Wholesale electricity prices have skyrocketed by up to 267% in the past five years as utility providers are forced to upgrade their infrastructure to handle the increased demand from data centers. However, the upgrade costs are being passed on equally to the data centers and the average consumer, resulting in higher utility bills for everyone. It has gotten to the point that President Donald Trump met with the biggest AI tech companies in the White House and made them promise to “pay their own way” with the “ratepayer protection pledge.”
The tracker shows how quickly moratoriums are popping up across smaller jurisdictions across the nation. The website only listed eight moratoriums as of May 2025, but just one year later, we now have a total of 78. This is going to be a problem for many AI hyperscalers, especially as they grapple with delays caused by hardware shortages around power infrastructure and more. And with investors spending billions (if not trillions) of dollars on the promise that this technology will someday change the world and make lots of money, these delays might spook them and cause funding that many AI startups rely on to dry up.
Jowi Morales is a tech enthusiast with years of experience working in the industry. He’s been writing with several tech publications since 2021, where he’s been interested in tech hardware and consumer electronics.
Don't impede progress, But own your part in this life. Stand up be a Man/Woman, step outside your own greed for 2 seconds. Having the resources to take the easy way, does not give you the right to trample on others. Build, but build with proper sense. Don't destroy....... For the sake of your and others greed, haven't we been down this road way so, too many times. Remember the Golden rule, if you don't look it up.
That's fine. Communist China doesn't need to beg for permission and is building these data centers at a phenomenal rate.
And? I assume most U.S. citizens don't want a Communist Chinese living.
Datacenter builders will find a place in the U.S -- it's a pretty darn big country. The Middle East is a no-go for them now, so if anything, more DC building will occur here now, not less.
Might as well be a communist USA, we are told how to be and live a whole lot more than we used to be. We used to be able to trust one another, leave your door unlocked car keys in the car. Not be swindled out of every last dollar, by every business, plus the govt. Hard work is not enough anymore, you have to lie, cheat and pretty much steal, to get ahead, to a varying degree, anyway. Want to build, go for it, but do it with common sense. Do not look to build next to residential EVER!!! NEED POWER. BUILD IT. DONT EXPECT IT. WATER? SAME THING.
No End in sight,these machines will take over our natural resources & are unenvited predators into our neighborhoods ...by Fat Cat Billionares who never asked for our approval.
Not the behavor of a good steward or caring neighbor who is concerned with our common future or to trust their real intent...
Not by any standard are they willing to pay to play .... in our future.
Yes as it has proven to be more like a Bond Villan than a friend you can trust.
No this must be a line in the sand, we are under attack by goons who sell us Snake Oil & to put our needs aside.
Then force us to ignore their real intent to undermind our Republic of self Government...The Borg is at play.
Those places that rejected the data center are just distractions. We as ordinary people won’t be able to stop the data centers. Voting doesn’t matter and protesting doesn’t matter.
