AI companies have a compute problem. As the usage of artificial intelligence is increasing among working adults in the U.S., computing power has become a precious resource that hyperscalers cannot ignore. To that end, we've seen a significant explosion in the number of planned data center projects throughout the globe. But those efforts are now facing roadblocks from local communities.

Just this week, a small town in Missouri ousted half of its city council for not doing their due diligence in protecting local communities from the harms of AI data center construction, and they're pushing to remove the rest of them, the mayor included. A resident of Claremore, Oklahoma, was arrested in February for speaking too long during a town hall meeting to discuss a data center project. In Virginia, voter support for data centers has collapsed to just 35% from 69% in 2023, halting efforts to build what would have been one of the largest data centers in the country.