The rules of data center development are evolving. Is your strategy?

Data centers that run AI systems like ChatGPT and Claude are using more electricity than expected. Industry researchers now project data centers could account for 9% to 17% of the country's total electricity use by 2030, up from about 4% to 5% today. That growth is being slowed by more than just power supply — permitting delays, equipment shortages, and pushback from nearby communities are all becoming bigger hurdles for new projects.

That community pushback matters to homeowners because it often centers on cost and environmental worries. Surveys cited in the report found more than 70% of Americans oppose having a data center built near their home, and local opposition has blocked or delayed $64 billion worth of data center projects over the past two years. A common concern is that a new data center nearby could push up local electricity prices or strain the area's environment. More towns and states are now enacting construction moratoriums in response.

To work around these conflicts, utilities and data center developers are increasingly turning to "onsite power" — generating electricity, often with fuel cells, right at or near the data center instead of pulling more from the shared grid. About a third of U.S. data centers are expected to run entirely on this kind of onsite power by 2030. For homeowners, the takeaway is mostly about context: as AI data centers multiply, their effect on local grids, electricity rates, and community planning is becoming a bigger factor in how power gets priced and delivered in some areas.