Banks and asset managers financing the U.S. data center buildout are adding community opposition and permitting risk more explicitly to their credit reviews as AI-driven demand fuels a wave of projects. Lenders remain interested in the sector, but are paying closer attention to local concerns over electricity costs, water use, noise and the scale of planned facilities because protests and approval disputes can delay or derail construction. Bank of America infrastructure finance chief Karen Fang said project readiness includes required permitting, approvals and support from nearby residents. The scrutiny comes as organized resistance grows across the country: at least 75 projects worth roughly $130 billion faced local opposition in the first quarter of 2026, nearly 40 arrests have been linked to data center protests this year, demonstrators staged 142 protests across 42 states in July, and at least 15 states have considered moratoriums on construction, according to a July Brookings report. Goldman Sachs estimated last month that more than $5 trillion would be spent on AI infrastructure by 2030. Brookings said broad construction bans could threaten the digital economy and argued lawmakers should pursue guardrails rather than attempt to halt the technology outright.