Local opposition is becoming a major bottleneck for data center construction. In the second quarter of 2026, community resistance blocked $68 billion worth of projects, according to Tom's Hardware. That is a significant amount of planned investment in a single three-month period.
Despite those blockages, the long-term investment outlook has not changed. The same report notes that data center investments are still on track to reach $32 trillion by 2050. That suggests the industry expects to eventually build elsewhere or overcome local objections.
The contrast points to a growing friction point: communities are increasingly willing to push back, but the sheer scale of planned investment means the overall growth trajectory remains intact. The result is likely to be more disputes, delays, and site searches in the coming years.