Tracker
Community concerns
46 concerns about 20 tracked projects, each taken from a public source such as meeting minutes, a docket, a filed case, an official statement or news reporting, as of Oct 25, 2026. Raised, not validated.
Which concerns are raised most
| Topic | Concerns | Projects | States | With a response |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Land use and zoning | 8 | 8 | 7 | 3 |
| Noise | 6 | 6 | 6 | 3 |
| Water | 6 | 6 | 5 | 4 |
| Electricity rates | 5 | 5 | 5 | 4 |
| Transparency and NDAs | 5 | 5 | 5 | 2 |
| Environment and wildlife | 4 | 4 | 4 | 3 |
| Other | 4 | 4 | 4 | 1 |
| Tax incentives | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 |
| Air emissions and generators | 2 | 2 | 2 | 0 |
| Traffic and construction | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 |
| Farmland | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
Community concerns by topic
Concerns documented in public sources, as of Oct 25, 2026
Where they are raised
| State | Concerns | Projects | Most common topics |
|---|---|---|---|
| Virginia | 8 | 4 | Land use and zoning, Air emissions and generators, Electricity rates |
| Pennsylvania | 5 | 2 | Water, Land use and zoning, Noise |
| Alabama | 3 | 1 | Environment and wildlife, Land use and zoning, Transparency and NDAs |
| Georgia | 3 | 1 | Electricity rates, Traffic and construction, Water |
| Kentucky | 3 | 1 | Farmland, Other, Tax incentives |
| Minnesota | 3 | 1 | Environment and wildlife, Transparency and NDAs, Water |
| New York | 3 | 1 | Land use and zoning, Noise, Tax incentives |
| Ohio | 3 | 1 | Electricity rates, Tax incentives, Transparency and NDAs |
| Tennessee | 3 | 1 | Land use and zoning, Noise, Other |
| Illinois | 2 | 1 | Environment and wildlife, Land use and zoning |
| New Jersey | 2 | 1 | Land use and zoning, Noise |
| North Carolina | 2 | 1 | Electricity rates, Water |
| North Dakota | 2 | 1 | Electricity rates, Traffic and construction |
| West Virginia | 2 | 1 | Air emissions and generators, Other |
| Maryland | 1 | 1 | Environment and wildlife |
| Michigan | 1 | 1 | Noise |
How it changes over time
Counted by the date of the cited source, so a quarter with few concerns may reflect which sources the Census has reviewed so far, not how many people spoke up. The count grows as projects are added.
Documented concerns by quarter of the source
Concerns by the date of the cited source, as of Oct 25, 2026
Every concern
| Project | Topic | Raised by | Date | Concern and any response | Sources |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Meta Maysville campus Maysville, Mason County, KY | Tax incentives | news report | Oct 15, 2026 | Reporting noted the deal rests on a 40-year, $800 billion industrial revenue bond figure that the county attorney called misleading. Response: The county attorney said the bond is not county debt because Meta bears the costs under a lease-back structure. | WVXU |
| Meta Maysville campus Maysville, Mason County, KY | Other | news report | Oct 14, 2026 | News reporting says dozens of residents, including those in a mobile home park, will likely have to relocate and have limited nearby housing options. | WCPO |
| Google Hermantown Data Center Hermantown, St. Louis County, MN | Water | residents at public meeting | Sep 21, 2026 | Residents raised concerns about effects on well water, trout streams and wetlands, and that well monitoring was not in the original development agreement. Response: Google said it is adding monitoring wells, reduced wetland impacts by 37 percent, and is creating a decommissioning agreement. | Northern News Now |
| Google Botetourt County Data Center Campus Botetourt County, VA | Electricity rates | news report | Sep 16, 2026 | Questions were raised about whether grid upgrades estimated at $264 million could affect other customers' bills. Response: The utility said other customers are not expected to pay more because the new load is expected to cover upgrade costs. | Cardinal News |
| Google Botetourt County Data Center Campus Botetourt County, VA | Water | organization | Sep 16, 2026 | Opposition focused on potential use of millions of gallons of water per day; Google and the county said the first building would use air cooling. | Cardinal News |
| Muncy Data Center Muncy Township, Lycoming County, PA | Noise | lawsuit | Sep 11, 2026 | Neighbors who filed a land use appeal cite industrial noise and say the zoning terms lack noise thresholds. | Williamsport Sun-Gazette |
| Muncy Data Center Muncy Township, Lycoming County, PA | Water | lawsuit | Sep 11, 2026 | The same appeal cites cooling-water consumption and electrical grid loads from the proposed data center. | Williamsport Sun-Gazette |
| Switch Big Beaver data center campus Big Beaver, Beaver County, PA | Water | residents at public meeting | Aug 27, 2026 | Neighbors raised concerns about water and electricity use, which the Beaver County solicitor said are outside the county planning agency's review. Response: The county solicitor said commissioners have little oversight and that water and energy use are not reviewed by the county planning agency. | Beaver County Radio, Beaver County Radio |
| Nebius Vineland Data Center Vineland, Cumberland County, NJ | Land use and zoning | agency | Aug 14, 2026 | The City of Vineland issued stop-construction orders saying work on an LNG tank and fuel cell units began without a construction permit. Response: The developer said the notices were limited to equipment placement work under the approved site plan. | WHYY |
| Calvert Technology Center Lusby, Calvert County, MD | Environment and wildlife | news report | Aug 13, 2026 | Concerns were raised about the project's effect on the county's ecosystem and the clearing of forest on the site. Response: Amazon said its decision to withdraw was driven by business considerations and that politics did not influence it. | WJLA (7News) |
| Project Mila Trenton, Butler County, OH | Transparency and NDAs | news report | Aug 11, 2026 | Reporting documents concerns that residents learned of the project after the land sale closed and that a city official signed an NDA. Response: The city said it created a buffered I-T zoning district and described openness versus competitiveness as a balance. | WVXU |
| DC BLOX Nashville Data Center Nashville, Davidson County, TN | Other | organization | Jul 23, 2026 | Nashville Zoo's chief executive said the zoo remains concerned about a data center near animals, schools and neighborhoods. | WSMV |
| Muncy Data Center Muncy Township, Lycoming County, PA | Land use and zoning | agency | Jul 17, 2026 | The township solicitor described the developer's filings as inconsistent and said the zoning ordinance was declared invalid, with a curative amendment pending. Response: The developer's lawyer sent a letter claiming the application has deemed approval. | Williamsport Sun-Gazette |
| Stream Data Centers STAMP Campus Alabama, Genesee County, NY | Land use and zoning | lawsuit | Jul 15, 2026 | The Tonawanda Seneca Nation, Sierra Club and a town resident filed suit claiming the 2012 incentive zoning agreement is unlawful and removes local zoning authority. | Investigative Post |
| Stream Data Centers STAMP Campus Alabama, Genesee County, NY | Noise | agency | Jul 15, 2026 | The state environmental agency asked for a noise study on low-frequency noise that might affect Nation territory. | Investigative Post |
| Monarch Compute Campus Point Pleasant, Mason County, WV | Other | agency | Jul 14, 2026 | The state environmental agency ordered stormwater and sediment controls repaired after runoff entered a neighborhood next to the site. Response: The company said it is working with WVDEP to remedy and upgrade the identified controls. | WV MetroNews |
| Project Marvel Bessemer, Jefferson County, AL | Transparency and NDAs | organization | Jul 14, 2026 | Environmental organizations criticized a nondisclosure agreement that restricted release of project information and required officials to destroy records. | WBHM / Inside Climate News |
| Project Mila Trenton, Butler County, OH | Tax incentives | residents at public meeting | Jul 9, 2026 | Questions were raised at the council meeting about granting a 15-year abatement to a project whose main appeal is city revenue. Response: The mayor said every business in the city has some abatement and that the company would not come without one; Prologis raised its payroll pledge. | WVXU |
| Microsoft Mega Park Person County, NC | Water | elected official | Jun 30, 2026 | A Roxboro city councilor raised concern about how much water the facility would draw from the city. Response: Microsoft said the Person County facilities are expected to use air-cooled chillers on a closed water loop to reduce water use. | WRAL |
| Microsoft Mega Park Person County, NC | Electricity rates | residents at public meeting | Jun 30, 2026 | Residents at a June 2026 community meeting raised concerns about the facility's energy use. Response: Microsoft has said it plans to "pay its own way" so its data center development does not raise electricity prices, as reported at the time of the meeting. | WRAL |
| Switch Big Beaver data center campus Big Beaver, Beaver County, PA | Transparency and NDAs | organization | Jun 29, 2026 | Organizers of a town hall said Switch's earlier community meeting excluded press and did not take in everyone's input. | WPXI |
| Project Marvel Bessemer, Jefferson County, AL | Land use and zoning | lawsuit | Jun 25, 2026 | Nearby homeowners filed suit alleging the rezoning was spot zoning without a rational basis; the case was later dismissed with prejudice with no reason in court records. | WBRC |
| Project Mila Trenton, Butler County, OH | Electricity rates | elected official | Jun 17, 2026 | Butler County commissioners cited water and sewer availability and who pays for electricity as reasons for a six-month moratorium. | WVXU |
| DC BLOX Nashville Data Center Nashville, Davidson County, TN | Noise | news report | Jun 9, 2026 | Nearby neighbors cited noise, air and water pollution as concerns about the proposed data center. Response: The company said the facility will not violate local or federal noise restrictions and mentioned closed-loop or waterless cooling. | WSMV |
| DC BLOX Nashville Data Center Nashville, Davidson County, TN | Land use and zoning | organization | Jun 9, 2026 | The zoo's land use attorney filed a zoning appeal seeking to overturn the project's permits. | WSMV |
| Meta Maysville campus Maysville, Mason County, KY | Farmland | lawsuit | May 26, 2026 | A grassroots group sued the county and planning commission over the zoning plan, and objections included conversion of farmland to industrial use and lack of a written community benefits plan. Response: Officials said the project is important to economic development and the company would fund needed infrastructure. | WEKU |
| QTS Augusta Data Center Campus Augusta, Augusta-Richmond County, GA | Water | residents at public meeting | May 5, 2026 | Residents cited a publicly circulated figure of 18 million gallons per day of water use. Response: QTS said maximum daily use would be around 18,000 gallons. | WRDW/WAGT News 12 |
| QTS Augusta Data Center Campus Augusta, Augusta-Richmond County, GA | Electricity rates | residents at public meeting | May 5, 2026 | Residents asked who would pay for the power needed to serve the facility. Response: Georgia Power said large-load customers such as data centers must pay the costs of serving them. | WRDW/WAGT News 12 |
| Monarch Compute Campus Point Pleasant, Mason County, WV | Air emissions and generators | organization | May 2, 2026 | An environmental organization raised concerns about air pollution and public health effects from the planned on-site gas engines and generators. | Charleston Gazette-Mail |
| Prince William Digital Gateway Gainesville, Prince William County, VA | Noise | organization | May 1, 2026 | The Oak Valley HOA cited health impacts of constant noise, pollution and reduced property values for nearby residents. | InsideNoVa |
| Project Cardinal Data Center Campus Yorkville, Kendall County, IL | Land use and zoning | lawsuit | Apr 29, 2026 | Plaintiffs, including a community LLC, sued the city and developer alleging the city failed to notify area residents of the annexation and rezoning. | Shaw Local |
| Polaris Forge 1 Ellendale, Dickey County, ND | Traffic and construction | elected official | Apr 21, 2026 | A Dickey County commissioner described road stability and safety problems on county roads tied to construction traffic, and several roads were closed for repair. Response: Applied Digital said it is funding about six million dollars in road paving, with work on Highway 11 expected that summer. | KFGO |
| Project Marvel Bessemer, Jefferson County, AL | Environment and wildlife | organization | Apr 11, 2026 | Alabama Rivers Alliance said construction soil disturbance could threaten the Birmingham darter, a fish found downstream of the site. | Alabama Rivers Alliance |
| Prince William Digital Gateway Gainesville, Prince William County, VA | Land use and zoning | lawsuit | Apr 1, 2026 | Plaintiffs challenged the December 2023 rezonings as having failed state and county public-notice requirements; the Court of Appeals declared the rezonings void. Response: QTS described the notice issues as technical and pointed to the investment and jobs at stake. | Virginia Business |
| Nebius Vineland Data Center Vineland, Cumberland County, NJ | Noise | news report | Mar 25, 2026 | Residents at a rally raised concerns about construction noise, air emissions and water use near a wellhead protection area. Response: The developer said it plans berms, trees and mufflers, will not draw from the aquifer, and that pollution controls will cut emissions. | WHYY |
| Stream Data Centers STAMP Campus Alabama, Genesee County, NY | Tax incentives | organization | Mar 18, 2026 | A Good Jobs First researcher and a state senator raised concerns about the size of the tax incentive package and the resulting lost public revenue. Response: The county legislature chair said the alternative to the GCEDC package is no project, and that the project could move to another community. | Investigative Post |
| Project Cardinal Data Center Campus Yorkville, Kendall County, IL | Environment and wildlife | residents at public meeting | Mar 10, 2026 | Speakers at the council meeting raised health, noise, light, air pollution and water-use concerns and asked for a construction moratorium and referendum. Response: The developer said it would use an air-cooled closed-loop system, with no municipal water for cooling, and that air pollution effects would be minimal. | Shaw Local |
| Polaris Forge 1 Ellendale, Dickey County, ND | Electricity rates | news report | Mar 6, 2026 | Concern was noted that data centers nearby may raise residential electricity bills. Response: The company's CEO said the utility must share revenue back to ratepayers, and the article reports bill rebates of about $70 per year. | KFYR-TV |
| QTS Augusta Data Center Campus Augusta, Augusta-Richmond County, GA | Traffic and construction | residents at public meeting | Feb 11, 2026 | Residents at a town hall asked for clarity on the project's size and its effects on traffic, noise and wetlands. Response: QTS said generators would run only during emergencies and testing with mufflers, and pledged quarterly community meetings. | WRDW/WAGT News 12 |
| Project Flex New Hudson, Oakland County, MI | Noise | residents at public meeting | Jan 13, 2026 | Residents at a Planning Commission meeting questioned the quality of the sound study; the township said final approval depends on independent review. Response: The developer said backup batteries are used instead of diesel for short outages and described the systems as low-water. | Planet Detroit |
| Google Hermantown Data Center Hermantown, St. Louis County, MN | Environment and wildlife | lawsuit | Nov 5, 2025 | Two groups, including the Minnesota Center for Environmental Advocacy, sued over the city's environmental review, arguing it does not adequately assess a site with sensitive natural features. Response: The city's communications director said the city would conduct appropriate review and follow the legal process. | KAXE |
| Google Hermantown Data Center Hermantown, St. Louis County, MN | Transparency and NDAs | organization | Nov 5, 2025 | The Minnesota Center for Environmental Advocacy said public-records requests show the city knew the project was a data center for over a year before the public was told. Response: A Google representative said NDAs let developers be open with local officials early and that the company goes public as soon as it has commercial certainty. | KAXE |
| Wilderness Crossing Orange County, VA | Land use and zoning | lawsuit | Sep 17, 2025 | Preservation groups and homeowners sued Orange County alleging flaws in the Board of Supervisors' rezoning vote; a court allowed parts of the case to proceed. | National Parks Conservation Association |
| Wilderness Crossing Orange County, VA | Other | organization | Sep 17, 2025 | Advocacy groups said the development next to the Wilderness Battlefield could harm the historic site's integrity. | National Parks Conservation Association |
| Balico data center campus and gas plant Chatham, Pittsylvania County, VA | Air emissions and generators | organization | May 1, 2025 | An environmental coalition cited a health report projecting fine particulate emissions from the proposed gas plant. | Virginia Conservation Network |
| Balico data center campus and gas plant Chatham, Pittsylvania County, VA | Transparency and NDAs | elected official | Jan 7, 2025 | The Planning Commission recommended denial citing a lack of transparency, and Chatham's mayor said Balico had not consulted town staff about using its water. | Virginia Business |
Method and limits
- Public, attributable sources only. A concern appears only where a source anyone can open documents it: the public-comment section of official minutes or transcripts, written comments in an official docket, a petition with a public page, a statement by an elected official or agency, a filed lawsuit, or reputable news reporting. Each concern links its source and date.
- Social media is a tip, never a source. Posts in Facebook groups, on Threads, Instagram, Nextdoor, X, Reddit and similar places are never cited, quoted, linked or stored here. They can point us to a hearing or a document, and the document is what we cite.
- No private individuals. We do not name, quote or identify residents. Public officials, companies, agencies and plaintiffs in filed cases are named only as the source reports them, and a group is named only if a cited source names it.
- Raised, not validated. A listed concern means a source reports that it was raised. It does not mean the claim is true. Where a developer, utility or official has publicly responded, the response and its source are shown beside it.
- Our words. Summaries are written in our own words, one neutral sentence each, with a fixed set of 14 topics.
- Not a count of opinion. The numbers count documented concerns, not people, votes or sentiment, and they depend on which projects and sources have been reviewed.
See the methodology. To ask for a review, use corrections.
Cite this page
Last updated Oct 25, 2026. Figures may change as records are updated — include the date you retrieved them.
| APA | Data Center Census. (2026). Community concerns. Retrieved from https://datacentercensus.com/community-concerns |
|---|---|
| MLA | “Community concerns.” Data Center Census, Oct 25, 2026, https://datacentercensus.com/community-concerns. |
| Link | https://datacentercensus.com/community-concerns |
Republishing a figure or table? Attribute it to Data Center Census with a link to this page. The underlying data is downloadable as JSON and CSV; the press kit has standing figures and contact details.