Community opposition, permitting disputes and shortages of skilled construction workers are slowing the U.S. data center expansion needed to support artificial intelligence. At least 75 projects worth $130 billion were blocked or delayed in the first quarter of 2026, according to the Brookings Institution, roughly matching the number affected throughout 2025. Including earlier periods, disruptions linked to opposition reached approximately $228 billion. A Gallup poll found that 70% of Americans opposed building AI data centers in their local area, including 48% who strongly opposed them. CoreWeave CEO Michael Intrator said resistance would redirect facilities and increase costs rather than eliminate demand for computing capacity. CoreWeave has diversified its development pipeline and planned more than one gigawatt of international capacity. International expansion brings currency, regulatory and supply-chain risks, while the company is also urging operators to engage residents early and act as good providers in host communities. With midterm elections approaching, data center development has become a local political issue in Northern Virginia, central Texas and parts of the Midwest. More than 500 localities across 39 states had adopted restrictions by July 2026, while tighter permitting and subsidy rollbacks could delay growth and increase the value of existing facilities and permitted sites owned by Equinix, Digital Realty Trust and Iron Mountain.