Research Timeline: January 2026 - March 2026.

Key Takeaways:

1. Q1 2026 marked an unprecedented surge in blocked and delayed projects. At least 75 data center projects worth approximately $130 billion were blocked or delayed in a single quarter — roughly matching the scale of all of 2025 in just three months. 

2. Moratoria expanded from local exceptions to a multi-front political battle. More than 300 state data center bills were filed in the first six weeks of 2026 alone, with statewide moratorium proposals introduced in 14 states coming from both sides of the aisle. Maine came within one House vote of becoming the first state in U.S. history to impose a statewide data center ban.

3. Grassroots opposition achieved effective national scale. The number of active opposition groups more than doubled from 396 at the end of 2025 to 833 by the end of Q1 2026, now spanning 49 states. Over 235,000 petition signatures were collected in this quarter alone — nearly matching all of H2 2025. As the data center pushback becomes mainstream, opposition is extending beyond grassroots groups in communities hosting new developments, drawing in statewide organizations, advocacy groups, and national voices focused on energy, water, land use, and ratepayer impacts.