Data center opposition has become a midterm election issue, according to a TechCrunch report from a Newsreel event in Brooklyn. The event was hosted by Newsreel, the media company founded by former Forbes and Newsweek reporter Jack Brewster, five days before the November 3 midterms.
The reporter, who moderated a panel on data centers, says that AI and data centers dominated most conversations at the event. The report cites a recent Data Center Watch report that found almost $200 billion in data center projects were delayed, stalled, or blocked in the first half of 2026 because of political and community opposition, according to the reporter's account of that report.
The report says states including Pennsylvania, Georgia, Texas, New York, and Virginia are considering more guardrails and transparency around data centers. It also says hundreds of new data centers are planned in Virginia alone.
On the panel, Hilary Flint, an environmental and public health advocate, said residents protest data centers because they "value their lives a little bit more than a temporary check." The reporter says people are upset that big tech companies appear to be cutting secret deals with local officials, and that zoning rules can make it unclear what is being built until it is too late to protest.
New York City Council member Chi Ossé, speaking at the event, said tech executives should be called to testify before Congress about AI's risks. The report also notes that reports show data centers create many jobs during construction, but those jobs are not permanent once building ends.