A tracker says 50 bans are active, including four permanent local prohibitions, with 14 new bans added between March and April and three more proposed.
Communities cite soaring power demand, noise and air pollution, while wholesale electricity prices have risen by as much as 267% in five years as utilities upgrade grids.
The total has jumped from eight moratoriums in May 2025, threatening hyperscalers' expansion plans and potentially worsening investor concerns over AI infrastructure delays and hardware shortages.
Are corporate pledges enough to shield communities from the hidden costs of the AI boom?
Is America's aging power grid the biggest threat to its dominance in artificial intelligence?