data center developer

Land costs for data centers in the United States have risen almost tenfold over two years. In the first half of 2026, companies spent roughly six billion dollars on land for future data centers, 79 percent more than a year earlier. The share of land in overall development budgets is climbing as the AI-driven data center construction boom accelerates, pushing up competition for suitable sites.

A data center developer is suing St. Louis after the city required new facilities to supply renewable energy on-site as a condition of approval. The case has drawn attention because it tests whether municipalities can impose clean-energy mandates on energy-hungry data centers, whose rapid growth is straining power grids and complicating climate goals across the United States.

More than 27 citizen and environmental groups plan to hold a rally against data centers on October 6 in the Main Capitol Rotunda in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. Organizers are expected to voice opposition to data center development in the state, citing concerns over energy demand, water use, and impacts on local communities. The coordinated event signals growing grassroots resistance to data center expansion across Pennsylvania.