The number of organized local groups fighting data center projects in the United States has more than doubled since the end of 2025, according to the most widely cited tracker of that opposition — a tracker whose own funding is not publicly disclosed. Both facts belong in the same story.
Data Center Watch reported in its first-quarter 2026 update that roughly $130 billion in data center projects were blocked or delayed, across 75 projects, with active opposition groups now present in 49 states. NBC News reported on June 12, 2026 that the tracker counted 833 active opposition groups, up from 396 at the end of 2025.
The trend line is steep by the project’s own earlier measure. Its original report, covering May 2024 through March 2025, identified 142 activist groups across 24 states and estimated $64 billion in projects blocked ($18 billion) or delayed ($46 billion). In roughly one year, by the same methodology, the count of groups grew nearly sixfold and the dollar figure roughly doubled.
Who is doing the counting
The same NBC News report disclosed a fact that has received far less attention than the headline numbers: Data Center Watch is a project of 10a Labs, an artificial-intelligence intelligence firm. Neither the tracker nor its parent company publicly identifies who funds the research.
Citizens United for Transparency does not allege that the tracker’s figures are inaccurate, and we cite them above because they are the best public accounting available. We do say this: when a single private dataset becomes the shared factual basis for state legislation, county votes, and national reporting, the public is entitled to know who paid to produce it. That standard applies to industry-adjacent researchers and to grassroots coalitions alike. We apply it to ourselves.
10a Labs has not, to our knowledge, been asked publicly to disclose its funding for this project. We are asking now, and we will publish any response in full.
The opposition is not a fringe
Polling suggests the organized groups are tracking a broader mood rather than manufacturing one. A University of Texas / Texas Politics Project survey of 1,200 registered Texas voters, reported by The Texas Tribune on June 23, 2026, found 56 percent opposed a data center being built in their own community and 29 percent supported it. Among rural respondents the split was 62 to 22. Republican respondents split nearly evenly, 44 to 42.
That last number matters for anyone trying to sort this debate onto a familiar partisan map. It does not fit on one.
What we are asking for
- Every organization producing data or advocacy that shapes data center siting decisions — on any side — should publicly disclose its major funders.
- Research firms operating public-facing trackers should state their client relationships in the tracker itself, not only in response to press inquiries.
- Local officials citing third-party figures in public hearings should ask, on the record, who funded them.
None of this requires anyone to change their position on a single project. It requires only that residents know whose argument they are hearing.
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Sources
- Q1 2026 Report — Data Center Watch.
- $64 Billion of Data Center Projects Blocked or Delayed — Data Center Watch (research period May 2024–March 2025).
- Data center opponents have blocked or delayed projects worth nearly $130 billion in 2026, study finds — NBC News, June 12, 2026 (reports that Data Center Watch is a project of 10a Labs).
- Data centers not welcome: New poll shows most Texans oppose them in their communities — The Texas Tribune, June 23, 2026.
- Texas Politics Project polling archive — University of Texas at Austin.
Note on sources and fairness. This is a news summary compiled by Citizens United for Transparency from public reporting, official government records, court filings, and organizations’ own published statements, each linked above. It does not allege that any specific person or organization has engaged in unlawful conduct. Allegations described in lawsuits, letters, or audits are allegations only, and all parties are presumed innocent unless and until proven otherwise. Where material is reposted or excerpted from another organization, it is identified as that organization’s statement and reproduction does not constitute endorsement. Corrections are welcome and will be posted.
About Citizens United for Transparency
Citizens United for Transparency is a nonpartisan watchdog dedicated to exposing dark money, foreign influence, and undisclosed funding in policy debates affecting national security and economic growth. It collaborates with other transparency organizations to gather information and promote disclosure.
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