New guide from crisis communications firm Red Banyan explains why data center opposition behaves like a cancellation campaign and gives developers 15 questions to answer before they announce a project

FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla., Oct. 16, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Red Banyan^®, an award-winning crisis communications and reputation management firm, today released the Data Center Opposition Readiness Checklist, a free two-page tool that helps data center developers, utilities and investors measure how prepared a project is for organized community opposition before it is announced. The checklist accompanies a new Red Banyan guide, "Data Center Backlash: Why It Behaves Like a Cancellation Campaign, and How Developers Should Respond," available now on the Red Banyan blog.

At a Glance

• What: The Data Center Opposition Readiness Checklist, a free two-page PDF with 15 yes/no questions and a readiness score
• Who it is for: Data center developers, utilities, investors and public officials preparing for new projects
• Why now: Community opposition blocked or delayed at least 75 U.S. data center projects worth about $130 billion in the first quarter of 2026 alone (Data Center Watch)
• Where to get it: redbanyan.com/blog/data-center-backlash-crisis-communications, with no sign-up required

Data Center Opposition Is at Record Levels

Artificial intelligence is driving a historic build-out of data centers across the United States, and community opposition is growing just as fast. According to Data Center Watch, opposition blocked or delayed about $130 billion in data center projects in the first three months of 2026, roughly matching the total for all of 2025. Active local opposition groups more than doubled in a single quarter, to more than 800 across 49 states. On July 18, 2026, opponents staged 142 protests in 42 states on the same day, according to Reuters, and a Pew Research Center survey found that 60 percent of Americans would be uncomfortable with a new data center in their area.

Red Banyan's new guide argues that the data center backlash increasingly behaves like a cancellation campaign. Opposition is forming in towns where no project has been filed, with communities such as Lochbuie, Colorado, passing a moratorium even though, according to its mayor, no developer had ever approached the town. The same talking points travel from community to community, and each concession can become a reason to ask for more. The guide treats residents' concerns about electricity rates, water, noise and land use as legitimate, and focuses on how opposition spreads and how developers can respond with facts and credible local voices.

"Opposition to data centers now moves at the speed of a national story," said Evan Nierman, Founder and CEO of Red Banyan and author of The Cancel Culture Curse: From Rage to Redemption in a World Gone Mad. "Towns are passing moratoriums against projects that have never been proposed. That tells you the debate is being shaped long before a developer files its first application. The developers who succeed will be the ones who have their story, their facts and their local voices ready before the first headline."

What the Checklist Covers

The Data Center Opposition Readiness Checklist turns Red Banyan's five-phase playbook into 15 yes/no questions organized in four areas:

• Know the Ground: Has the team mapped the local and national groups likely to oppose the project, and what residents already believe about data centers?
• Build the Fact Base: Can the developer explain in plain numbers who pays for new power and transmission, and state the facility's projected water use and cooling technology?
• Line Up Credible Voices: Are local validators ready to speak from their own experience?
• Prepare for Pressure: Can the team spot and correct misinformation within 24 hours, and are spokespeople trained to treat public hearings like TV interviews?

Users count their "yes" answers to score their project as Ready (13 to 15), Exposed (9 to 12) or At Risk (8 or fewer).

"Red Banyan has worked with utility companies involved in data center projects, and we have advised homeowners who opposed them," Nierman said. "Residents deserve straight answers about their power bills, their water and their neighborhoods. This checklist helps developers have those answers ready early and delivered by people the community already trusts."

Download the Checklist and Read the Full Guide

The Data Center Opposition Readiness Checklist is available as a free download, with no sign-up required, on the Red Banyan blog at redbanyan.com/blog/data-center-backlash-crisis-communications. The full guide also covers the data behind the backlash, the community concerns developers must address, why traditional crisis PR tools can backfire in this environment, and a phase-by-phase communications playbook from pre-announcement through approval.

The guide builds on Red Banyan's Cancel Culture Response Playbook and the firm's Press the Truth^® philosophy: identify the facts that are on your side, then communicate them early, clearly and persistently through voices people trust.

In 2026, Red Banyan was ranked the No. 1 Boutique Crisis Communications Firm in the United States and recognized by Chambers and Partners as one of the nation's leading crisis PR firms.

About Red Banyan^®

Red Banyan is an award-winning strategic communications firm specializing in high-stakes reputation management. The firm advises business leaders, organizations, institutions and high-profile individuals operating in scrutinized or regulated environments where perception, trust and brand equity directly influence outcomes. Drawing on deep expertise across strategic communications and brand building, crisis communications, legal and litigation PR, government relations, media training, and online reputation management, Red Banyan^® delivers disciplined, strategy-led communications designed to support business growth and navigate moments that test it. Learn more at https://redbanyan.com.

Media Contact:
Red Banyan
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