What We Know About US Data Centre Backlash Ahead of Midterms

Opposition to data centre construction is strong enough across both parties that politicians at every level are now expected to state a position, according to BBC reporting published October 15, 2026.

What's driving the backlash against data centres?

Residents near new facilities describe direct impacts on their neighborhoods. Indiana resident Angelita Soriano, who lives across the street from a new Amazon data centre, told the BBC: "I don't want to be the guinea pig for this." The Amazon project near her home spans 26 buildings, covers more than a square mile, and will run 782 diesel-powered generators once complete, the BBC reported October 15, 2026.

How big is the US data centre buildout?

Roughly 3,000 data centres currently operate in the United States, and that figure could double within a few years, according to a Pew Research Center report cited by the BBC on October 15, 2026. Scale varies widely by project. In Ohio, a joint venture involving OpenAI, Nvidia, SB Energy, and the US Department of Energy is building a complex that will stretch roughly six square miles — comparable in size to many US townships, per the same BBC report.

Why can't Congress simply regulate data centres?

Siting decisions run through local zoning and permitting processes, which limits the direct authority of federal lawmakers, the BBC reported. That hasn't stopped at least one Democratic senator's office from drafting new legislation. A senior policy adviser to that senator, speaking to the BBC on condition of anonymity because the adviser is not authorized to speak to the press, said: "This happens sometimes, something starts slow and then it goes fast." The adviser added: "There is a clear policy need here that we're looking to fill. This is a major backlash across the country — constituents are seeing the impacts of data centres and they do not like them."

Is this a partisan issue?

Not cleanly. AI policy adviser Chloe Autio told the BBC: "This isn't just an issue on the left, there is huge pushback among conservatives to data centres." She added that "whoever articulates a clear position and sticks to it, in either party, really stands to benefit." That dynamic has put some Republicans in Congress at odds with President Donald Trump, who has backed rapid AI infrastructure growth, according to the BBC's October 15, 2026 report.

What is the Trump administration's position?

Trump has called the backlash a "sick conspiracy" and described towns resisting new facilities as "backwards and poor," the BBC reported. Those remarks have reportedly been used by critics of the buildout as a rallying point in affected communities, per the same account.

What happens next in Congress?

The Democratic senator's office is tracking data centre impacts through regular staff meetings and working on legislation to curb expansion, the adviser told the BBC. Given local control over permitting, any federal measure would likely focus on areas within Washington's reach — such as energy use, water consumption, or federal land and funding tied to projects like the Ohio complex — though the BBC's reporting does not detail specific bill language. With the Pew-cited doubling of facility counts looming and midterm campaigns underway, the adviser's framing stands: a slow-building issue that, by October 2026, is moving fast.