Community Pushback and Public Trust in the Data Center Boom

Session details:

• Where data center expansion is triggering local resistance, from “not in my backyard” sentiment to broader concerns around land use, equity, and long-term community impact
• How operators, developers, infrastructure partners, and municipalities are navigating community engagement, balancing transparency around how projects are built and operated with project timelines and competitive pressure
• What it actually means to deliver local economic value, from tax base and job creation to infrastructure strain and uneven distribution of benefits
• Where lessons from high-growth regions reveal what works, and where early missteps around project planning, communication, trust, and resource use are still shaping public acceptance