A growing backlash against building new data centers in the US may have huge cost implications for CIOs planning to expand their organizations’ AI initiatives. Protests against building new data centers were organized in 42 states in mid-July, with participants concerned about new facilities driving up electricity and water costs and using large swaths of land. As of mid-July, 10 states, including Florida, Georgia, and Virginia, had active data center construction moratoriums in place, and eight other states had pending legislation, according to datacenterbans.com.