86 US data centers canceled or long-delayed... 76 directly linked to community opposition

Goldman Sachs reported that 86 U.S. data center projects have been canceled or long-delayed since January 2026, with 76 of those tied directly to community opposition, in an October 19 analysis of AI infrastructure bottlenecks that also cited grid interconnection, permitting, equipment procurement and skilled-labor shortages as constraints. The tally was published before the U.S. midterm elections and does not separately account for election-driven delays. AP reported that Democrats won control of the House and Senate and took the Texas, Georgia and Ohio governorships in the November 3 midterms. The findings matter because data center buildout underpins AI compute capacity and related power demand. What to watch next is whether the new Congress and state governors ease permitting and grid connection, and whether community opposition continues to stall projects.