US data center bans top 500, up from 300+ in late June, as New York and Texas join cities and counties pushing back against data center development (Shane Burke/The Information)

Over 500 US jurisdictions have now implemented data center bans or restrictions, more than doubling since late June, with major states like New York and Texas joining the movement due to concerns about power consumption, cooling infrastructure, and community impact. This regulatory trend poses significant challenges for AI companies and enterprises planning infrastructure expansion, potentially forcing costly rerouting of compute resources and limiting on-premises deployment options. IT leaders must reassess their data center strategy and geographic diversification plans as local government resistance becomes a material risk factor in infrastructure planning.