Residents of Monterey Park, California, recently staged an unlikely uprising against a proposed datacenter that would have dwarfed four football fields in size. The five-person group, No Data Center Monterey Park, had been mobilizing their community for six weeks when the city council voted to impose a 45-day moratorium on construction.
The grassroots campaign used social media effectively, engaging hundreds of residents and garnering nearly 5,000 signatures, with materials shared in English, Chinese and Spanish to accommodate the city's diverse population. They expressed concerns over noise pollution, energy costs, and environmental impact, drawing parallels with other datacenter-related revolts that have unfolded across the US.
Across America, opposition to datacenters has grown significantly since 2023, according to Data Center Watch research. Over 50 groups in 17 states targeted around 30 projects during a year-long campaign from March to June 2025, halting more than two-thirds of them.
The movement against datacenters has united unlikely allies, including nimbys and environmentalists, activists and conservative residents, all sharing concerns over land use, energy consumption and the digital footprint.
The state of Indiana's datacenter hub, which boasts over 70 facilities, has seen similar resistance, with local communities fighting back against at least a dozen stalled projects in the past year, according to Citizens Action Coalition.
For many Hoosiers, datacenters have become a physical manifestation of their distrust of big tech and the elected officials who support it. Local campaigns are not only delaying but also cancelling billions of dollars' worth of construction projects nationwide.
In California's Monterey Park, organizers drew inspiration from other communities fighting similar battles and adopted a decentralized approach to mobilize residents. They formed coalitions with local community groups, including SGV Progressive Action and the Asian Youth Collective, which helped them rally support across linguistic and cultural divides.
Though they secured their city council victory, No Data Center Monterey Park has vowed to continue the campaign, seeking to educate residents about datacenters through a voter-led ballot initiative later this year. With the onus now on residents to develop awareness about the issue, organizers remain committed to ensuring that community voices are heard in the ongoing fight against these digital behemoths.
The grassroots campaign used social media effectively, engaging hundreds of residents and garnering nearly 5,000 signatures, with materials shared in English, Chinese and Spanish to accommodate the city's diverse population. They expressed concerns over noise pollution, energy costs, and environmental impact, drawing parallels with other datacenter-related revolts that have unfolded across the US.
Across America, opposition to datacenters has grown significantly since 2023, according to Data Center Watch research. Over 50 groups in 17 states targeted around 30 projects during a year-long campaign from March to June 2025, halting more than two-thirds of them.
The movement against datacenters has united unlikely allies, including nimbys and environmentalists, activists and conservative residents, all sharing concerns over land use, energy consumption and the digital footprint.
The state of Indiana's datacenter hub, which boasts over 70 facilities, has seen similar resistance, with local communities fighting back against at least a dozen stalled projects in the past year, according to Citizens Action Coalition.
For many Hoosiers, datacenters have become a physical manifestation of their distrust of big tech and the elected officials who support it. Local campaigns are not only delaying but also cancelling billions of dollars' worth of construction projects nationwide.
In California's Monterey Park, organizers drew inspiration from other communities fighting similar battles and adopted a decentralized approach to mobilize residents. They formed coalitions with local community groups, including SGV Progressive Action and the Asian Youth Collective, which helped them rally support across linguistic and cultural divides.
Though they secured their city council victory, No Data Center Monterey Park has vowed to continue the campaign, seeking to educate residents about datacenters through a voter-led ballot initiative later this year. With the onus now on residents to develop awareness about the issue, organizers remain committed to ensuring that community voices are heard in the ongoing fight against these digital behemoths.
Just read about the Monterey Park resistance against that huge datacenter project... I gotta say, it's awesome to see people come together like this! 
They used social media so well, too - getting hundreds of residents engaged and collecting those signatures is no easy feat 
. It's like they said, a decentralized approach can really make a difference when you bring in local community groups and rally support across different cultures... that coalition with SGV Progressive Action was super smart 
. Now, I'm curious to see how the voter-led ballot initiative plays out - hope those residents get their voices heard on this one 
.
, ppl in monterey park show us the power of community organizing 
! 5 guys vs a massive datacenter (literally) but they went viral on socials 
and now the city's all like "whoa let's chill" 
. gotta respect their decentralized approach 
, brought together nimbys, enviro activists, and more 
. it's not just about monterey park tho, nationwide opposition to datacenters is growing 
with over 50 groups in 17 states fighting back 
. #DataCenterRevolution #CommunityPower #DecentralizedResistance
and btw, 5k signatures is like woah! that's dedication 
they're really setting an example for other communities to take action too 
they're just one more way 4 us 2 store all our info & stuff 
but seriously, it's kinda cool 2 see communities stand up 4 what they believe in 
! It's amazing how social media can bring people together and create change 
. And let's be real, who doesn't want to protect their community from the negative impacts of big tech? 
. Now, it's time for residents to take it up a notch with their voter-led ballot initiative - fingers crossed they make a difference 
! their grassroots campaign was super impressive, using social media to engage hundreds of residents and get nearly 5k signatures 
. i mean, who wouldn't want a little more green space in their community? noise pollution and energy costs aren't even the main concern - it's like they're saying "hold up, let's not rush into this tech revolution without thinking about the consequences" 
. anyway, i'm rooting for those monterey park folks - they're showing us that sometimes the best way to get things done is to take matters into our own hands 
The way they used social media to spread their message was super clever 
It's all about listening to the concerns of everyday people and making sure their voices are heard 
its not just nimbys and enviros, ppl from all walks of life r coming together 2 speak out against those datacenters! theyre not just a bunch of soulless buildings, but also a symbol of our reliance on tech and how it affects our lives. i mean, who needs that much energy consumption? 
. As someone who's always been fascinated by the nostalgia of pre-internet days (like, remember when you had to get up from your desk to look something up in a book? 
), it's amazing to see people coming together across linguistic and cultural divides to fight for their local interests.
. And I mean, who doesn't want to protect their community from some massive datacenter? 
) to mobilize their community against a proposed datacenter that would have had such a huge impact on the area. The fact that they drew inspiration from other communities fighting similar battles is also super impressive, and I love how they formed coalitions with local groups like SGV Progressive Action and the Asian Youth Collective 
.
, i love how this story has already sparked conversations across linguistic and cultural divides 
. We can all learn from their example of community-driven activism and staying vigilant about our environment