The Year Data Centers Went From Backend To Center Stage
TechCrunch, December 11,2025
There was a time when most Americans had little to no knowledge about their local data center. Long the invisible but critical backbone of the internet, server farms have rarely been a point of interest for folks outside of the tech industry, let alone an issue of particularly captivating political resonance.
Well, as of 2025, it would appear those days are officially over.
Over the past 12 months, data centers have inspired protests in dozens of states, as regional activists have sought to combat America's ever-increasing compute buildup. Data Center Watch, an organization tracking anti-data center activism, writes that there are currently 142 different activist groups across 24 states that are organizing against data center developments.