It was only then that they learned about two data centers projects already proposed in different Maine communities. Shelby Tauber/ReutersOpposition to data centers growingAs big tech companies and the Trump administration pursue an aggressive bid to make the US a leader in artificial intelligence, massive ‘hyperscale’ data centers needed to operate those technologies have proliferated. There are over 4,000 data centers around the US, according to the Data Center Map. Jim West/Universal Images Group Editorial/Getty ImagesState lawmakers are reacting to the “speed, scale and secrecy” of many data center projects, said Jason Beckfield, a Harvard University sociology professor studying data centers. “It’s harder to buy public support [for data centers] than it is to buy a power plant,” Beckfield said.

Source: CNN April 12, 2026 18:24 UTC