A Harvard researcher says the data-center backlash in the U.S. is accelerating as more than 1,000 proposals wait in the pipeline and local governments weigh community impacts. The researcher frames the issue around energy, water use, noise, and air pollution—harms residents can feel quickly, while benefits cited by developers often appear later or are contested. The analysis points to growing pressure on local zoning and permitting processes, including short-term moratoriums in jurisdictions without specific rules. It also highlights federal policy signals, arguing that the Trump administration has treated data-center build-out as strategic and indicated potential regulatory easing. The energy demand angle is central: electricity prices, the researcher says, have continued to outpace inflation for families while communities face the cost of power infrastructure required to support large facilities. That dynamic is intensifying disputes between local leaders and technology companies claiming jobs and economic revitalization. For higher education institutions, the issue connects to campus IT and research computing demand, which increasingly depends on grid capacity, cooling water planning, and community acceptance of energy-intensive infrastructure.