In recent years, AI hyperscalers and developers across the United States have met growing local resistance. Residents and officials in Texas, Georgia, Illinois and Mississippi cite power demand, infrastructure cost and long-term environmental impact.
Industry data shows about $64 billion in U.S. data center projects have been delayed or blocked, according to a report. (Ed. note: This sum covers projects reported as delayed or blocked nationwide.)
The pattern mirrors earlier disputes over Bitcoin mining that promised jobs and larger tax bases. Mining operations often failed to deliver those benefits and faced rising community opposition.
Many miners were forced to renegotiate power contracts and invest in mitigation to gain local approval. Those experiences now inform local scrutiny of high-density AI developments.
Microsoft and OpenAI have begun pursuing more community-focused infrastructure strategies to address grid and generation costs. OpenAI has said it will pay its own way for energy tied to its expanding AI footprint.
Competitive pressure in the bitcoin sector has also pushed some firms toward AI and high-performance computing workloads. Companies such as Hut 8, MARA Holdings, Riot Platforms, TeraWulf and HIVE Digital Technologies are among those mentioned in a recent review.
