70% of Americans dont want data centers built nearby, but the government is seizing private property to force construction to start

Date:
Mon, 20 Jul 2026 17:20:00 +0000

Description:
'Eminent domain' is being used to force landowners to sell their personal property to help build infrastructure for data centers.

FULL STORY ======================================================================Copy link Facebook X Whatsapp Reddit Pinterest Flipboard Threads Email Share this article 0 Join the conversation Follow us Add us as a preferred source on Google Newsletter Subscribe to our newsletter The US government is using 'eminent domain' to force landowners to sell property to make way for new
data center infrastructure Power companies are turning to the government as a last resort for acquiring land needed for power transmission projects Americans are not happy with the mass buildout of new AI data centers Its no secret that there is a big divide between AI companies looking to expand capacity and the general public who dont want a data center constructed in their back yard, particularly in the US.

Recent polling has put that number up to as many as 7 in 10 Americans who are opposed to data center construction , with environmental concerns and reductions in quality of life cited as the biggest reasons. But AI companies and energy firms alike are reportedly turning to eminent domain - the governments ability to seize the private property of landholders without the need for the owners consent. Latest Videos From Watch full video here: Government seizing private property Eminent domain has typically been
reserved for critical infrastructure projects including power and transport, alongside government projects and public utilities.

Eminent domain was also famously used to seize land for the construction of the Minuteman nuclear missile deterrent across the United States during the Cold War. You may like The data center debate rumbles on - here are the numbers behind People Over Profit As data center worries grow, here is every US state which is fighting back against new buildings Many new AI data
centers will be built on US drought-hit areas

Drawing on a similar patriotic tone expressed during the construction of
silos in the 1960s, President Donald Trump has said that the development of
AI technologies is crucial to the national security and economic security of the US, and therefore capacity must be expanded.

As data centers require enormous amounts of electricity in order to function, they require dedicated power lines and infrastructure connections. In order
to construct this infrastructure, power companies approach local landowners and offer to buy the land upon which the power lines will be built. However, if the landowners say no, the power companies can call on the government to use its power of eminent domain. Are you a pro? Subscribe to our newsletter Sign up to the TechRadar Pro newsletter to get all the top news, opinion, features and guidance your business needs to succeed! Contact me with news
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The Fifth Amendment of the US constitution requires the government to provide the landowner with just compensation, generally based on fair market value
for similar property in the local area.

Data centers accounted for roughly 10-20% of US electricity consumption in 2024, with that number having risen significantly since then. Some data centers under construction will use more power than some US cities, such as Metas Hyperion campus in Louisiana which is expected to consume three times the power consumed by the city of New Orleans. Some states have been more prolific in their use of eminent domain, with residents in Georgia being forced to sell property to the Georgia Power transmission project - a
capacity expansion that will primarily benefit data centers. Other landowners in Maryland have begun erecting signs on their property that state, No
eminent domain for corporate gain.

The opposition to data centers is fast becoming a people versus the
government issue, with many complaining that AI companies are becoming extremely wealthy without providing any benefit for the average working class American - something that Senator Bernie Sanders hopes to remediate with an
AI sovereign wealth fund that would force AI companies to offer up 50% of their stock to be used to fund projects that benefit Americans.

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