RESEARCH · RESEARCH · #789
Data & Society ethnography finds growing local opposition to data center projects in Pennsylvania
A new Data & Society report based on 18 months of ethnographic fieldwork and 44 interviews (2024–2026) documents diverse and growing local opposition in Pennsylvania to data center construction tied to AI investment, driven by economic, environmental, health, and governance concerns; trade unions remain a notable source of support. The piece notes industry boosterism (e.g., Data Center Coalition/Pennsylvania Connects) and cites trackers reporting $68 billion in disrupted data center projects in Q2 2026.
KEY POINTS
- A new Data & Society report based on 18 months of ethnographic fieldwork and 44 interviews (2024–2026) documents diverse and growing local opposition in Pennsylvania to data center construction tied to AI investment, driven by economic, environmental, health, and governance concerns; trade unions remain a notable source of support.
- The piece notes industry boosterism (e.g., Data Center Coalition/Pennsylvania Connects) and cites trackers reporting $68 billion in disrupted data center projects in Q2 2026.
- The report highlights how grounded community concerns and organized opposition can slow or reshape AI infrastructure expansion, with implications for industry planning, local politics, and regulation.
WHY IT MATTERS
The report highlights how grounded community concerns and organized opposition can slow or reshape AI infrastructure expansion, with implications for industry planning, local politics, and regulation.