As tech companies race to build data centers, communities and lawmakers across the United States are pushing back. Industry leaders frame local opposition as a threat to American competitiveness, but China’s experience shows that unchecked expansion carries serious risks of its own.
LOS ANGELES—Hardly a week goes by without news of another American town or city pushing back against a proposed AI data center in its backyard. Residents worry about the rising electricity costs, excessive water consumption, noise pollution, and other burdens their communities will have to shoulder to sustain these power-guzzling behemoths.