Hundreds of residents just faced off with Amazon in a high school parking lot over its Wallula Gap data center — and they're only the beginning. A developer is suing an entire city, a West Texas Bitcoin mine has been reborn as a 1.6-gigawatt AI supercomputer, federal regulators just put the grid on a 60-day clock, and a BlackRock-led group closed a $40 billion buyout. Here's what's driving the revolt across America — and the staggering money still pouring in anyway.
COMMUNITY — In Burbank, WA, 50–75 protesters rallied outside Amazon's open house at Columbia High School while ~20 Amazon officials pitched a $4.8B complex of 16 data centers overlooking the Columbia River. The Walla Walla Anti Data Center League is pushing the county for a one-year moratorium.
⚖️ LEGAL — Developer DC Blox filed a federal lawsuit against Metro Nashville, challenging the city's data center moratorium and frozen permits for a project next to the Nashville Zoo. It alleges violations of due process, equal protection, and unlawful takings; the moratorium runs through December.
🤖 AI/TECH — Galaxy Digital's Helios campus near Afton, TX — a former Bitcoin mine — secured approval for 1.6+ GW, fully leased to CoreWeave. The first 133 MW is delivered, Phase 2 permits (~$3.5B) are filed, and the site could eventually reach 3.5 GW.
⚡ POWER — Federal regulators (FERC) gave grid operators ~60 days to file revised interconnection rules to speed data center hookups. U.S. data center demand jumped from 23 GW (2023) to 42 GW (2026) and could reach 134 GW by 2030.
💧 WATER — Texas data centers consumed 50+ billion gallons of water in 2024, and ~2/3 of the 809 data centers planned nationwide sit on drought-hit land. Federal Colorado River cuts of 16–20% never account for data center demand.
🏛️ POLICY — Fort Worth's City Council voted unanimously to begin a 90-day data center moratorium, weighing impacts on water, land, and quality of life. It's part of 300+ state data center bills filed across 30+ sta
