AI Data Centers Face Power Shortfalls and Community Pushback

Local opposition disrupted 45 US data center projects worth $68 billion in Q2 2026, according to Bloomberg, down from a record 75 projects worth roughly $130 billion in Q1. Jensen Huang said the industry failed to engage communities early enough, and noted that newer data centers recycle cooling water rather than relying on evaporation. Separately, turbine delivery queues now stretch to 2030, and SpaceX has planned to manufacture turbine components, including blades and vanes, in-house because AI data centers require power faster than existing suppliers can deliver it. TrendForce projects global data center power capacity will more than double from 100.5 GW in 2024 to 211.1 GW by 2027, with AI servers accounting for roughly a quarter of global data center power demand in 2025 and potentially exceeding 40% by 2027. The Electric Power Research Institute estimates data centers could consume 9% to 17% of all US electricity by 2030, up from approximately 4% to 5% today. The US data center power supply-demand gap could surpass 170 GW by 2030 if grid development fails to keep pace.