Fort Lauderdale – October 16, 2026 -- Community opposition blocked or delayed about $130 billion in U.S. data center projects in the first quarter of 2026, roughly matching the total for all of 2025, according to Data Center Watch. Crisis communications firm Red Banyan has released a free two-page Data Center Opposition Readiness Checklist to help developers, utilities and investors gauge their exposure before announcing a project.
Opposition groups more than doubled to over 800 in one quarter
Data Center Watch counts at least 75 U.S. projects blocked or delayed in the first quarter. Active local opposition groups more than doubled in a single quarter, to more than 800 across 49 states.
On July 18, 2026, opponents staged 142 protests in 42 states on the same day, according to Reuters. A Pew Research Center survey found that 60 percent of Americans would be uncomfortable with a new data center in their area.
Red Banyan says backlash behaves like a cancellation campaign
Red Banyan's accompanying guide argues that opposition now forms in towns where no project has been filed. Lochbuie, Colorado, passed a moratorium even though, according to its mayor, no developer had ever approached the town. The guide adds that the same talking points travel between communities, and that each concession can become grounds for further demands.
The guide treats residents' concerns about electricity rates, water, noise and land use as legitimate. It focuses on how opposition spreads and how developers can respond with facts and credible local voices.
Evan Nierman, Red Banyan's founder and CEO, said the debate is being shaped long before a developer files its first application, and that successful developers will have their story, facts and local voices ready before the first headline.
Checklist scores projects across 15 yes/no questions in four areas
The checklist converts Red Banyan's five-phase playbook into 15 questions grouped under four headings:
- Know the Ground: whether the team has mapped local and national groups likely to oppose the project, and what residents already believe about data centers.
- Build the Fact Base: whether the developer can explain in plain numbers who pays for new power and transmission, and state projected water use and cooling technology.
- Line Up Credible Voices: whether local validators are ready to speak from their own experience.
- Prepare for Pressure: whether the team can spot and correct misinformation within 24 hours, and whether spokespeople are trained to treat public hearings like TV interviews.
Users count their "yes" answers to rate a project Ready (13 to 15), Exposed (9 to 12) or At Risk (8 or fewer).
Full guide covers pre-announcement through approval
The checklist is a free download with no sign-up required. The full guide also covers the data behind the backlash, community concerns developers must address, and why traditional crisis PR tools can backfire in this environment. It includes a phase-by-phase communications playbook from pre-announcement through approval.
Nierman said Red Banyan has worked with utility companies involved in data center projects and has advised homeowners who opposed them.