# What Growing Public Opposition to Data Centers Means for Markets Local resistance is slowing down AI infrastructure. - **Source:** [Business Insider](https://www.businessinsider.com) - **Published:** 2026-07-14 - **Topic:** [Business](https://brifing.si/c/business) - **Original article:** - **On Brifing:** https://brifing.si/s/1f31bd84-7032-4a06-90f0-5d5753fedbdf ## Rising Opposition to Data Center Boom Local communities are increasingly resisting data centers due to environmental impacts and resource consumption. This is slowing the expansion of AI infrastructure and creating unexpected market effects. ## Morgan Stanley's Warning Morgan Stanley highlights that growing public opposition to data center construction is creating a hidden bottleneck in AI trade. This could disrupt investment cycles and alter geographic distribution. ## Environmental Concerns and Moratoriums The energy and water consumption of data centers is raising environmental concerns. States like New York are imposing moratoriums on large-scale data centers, halting construction. ## Impact on Investment Cycles Public resistance could affect the timing and intensity of data center investments. This may reduce investment needs or prolong the process. ## Companies and Alternative Solutions Data center companies are turning to on-site power generation due to increasing backlash. Companies like Solaris Energy Infrastructure could benefit from this shift. ## The Future of AI Infrastructure Local resistance could limit the US's ability to expand its AI infrastructure. In 2025, $156 billion worth of projects were canceled or delayed, and this trend may continue. ## Sources covering this story - https://www.businessinsider.com/data-center-protests-ai-trade-markets-sei-be-morgan-stanley-2026-7 — --- _Summary written by Brifing from the original reporting. Copyright in the original article belongs to its publisher; read the full piece at the link above._