US data centre projects worth US$130bn face delays

Data Center Watch says at least 75 projects were blocked or delayed in the first quarter of 2026 in the US, matching the total for all of 2025. Image: Adobe Stock

If this figure is correct then it means that the number of data centres being blocked or delayed was the same in the first quarter of 2026 as it was for the whole of 2025.

Data Center Watch added that more than 300 state data center bills were filed in the first six weeks of 2026 alone, with statewide moratorium proposals introduced in 14 states coming from both sides of the aisle.

Maine came within one House vote of becoming the first state in US history to impose a statewide data center ban.

Communities have concerns about the amount of power that data centers consume – some need as much power as small cities – while straining local water supplies for cooling.

Data centres are one of the fastest growing construction segments in the world, with North America a key region for data centre construction.

Recent data from the Dodge Construction Network revealed that planning for commercial builds in the US increased by 1.8% in March but the results highlighted the sector’s dependence on data centres.

The Dodge Momentum Index (DMI), issued by Dodge Construction Network, increased 1.8% in March. However, without the data centre boom, commercial planning would have dropped 12% during that period.

A White Paper from Revizto projected that the global data center market would reach US$4 trillion by 2030.