Coverage: September 28–October 1, 2026. Reviewed on October 1.
The website’s previous report covered September 18–27. This follow-up focuses on subsequent developments. The cases below are verified examples from the sources reviewed, not a comprehensive global inventory. An exclusively AI-related use has not been confirmed for every data center project facing opposition.
Clinton, Iowa: Petition and protest on September 28
Clintonians Against Data Centers delivered a petition containing more than 1,500 signatures from registered voters to the city clerk’s office on September 28. Signature gathering had begun on September 12, so the new development was the petition’s submission, rather than the campaign’s launch. Residents were organizing over a proposed hyperscale data center and the rules governing its development. KROS report, September 29
A separate WHBF report, republished by AOL, confirms that members also protested outside the City Council’s special Committee of the Whole meeting. This confirmation matters because the KROS account described the protest as a forthcoming event. Neither source confirms that the project was canceled or that final regulations were adopted. WHBF report
Near Sahuarita, Arizona: Community meeting on September 29
Residents met at Good Shepherd church to discuss Project Gravel, a proposed eight-building development on approximately 160 acres. Concerns included water and energy use, health, wildlife, and the project’s scale. Some participants expressed readiness to protest. An organizer said he intended to hold a rally in October; this plan should not be reported as an event that had already occurred. AZPM field report, September 30
An important geographic distinction: the town’s September 28 clarification places Project Gravel outside Sahuarita’s municipal limits, in unincorporated Pima County. It should therefore not be conflated with possible projects within the town or their approval processes. Town’s official website
Central City, Iowa: Demands for answers on September 30
Residents filled the Falcon Civic Center on the evening of September 30 to ask questions about a proposed data center. KCRG reported that the project’s representative did not speak at the meeting, prompting complaints from some attendees. The council was drafting an ordinance, and a council member referred to a moratorium intended to allow public input and the development of regulations. The report does not establish precisely when that pause was adopted, so it cannot be described as a confirmed result of this meeting. The company emphasized planning and cooperation with the community. KCRG report
Estrie, Quebec: Continued calls for transparency on September 28
In a September 28 statement, the regional environmental council, CREE, called for transparency and meaningful dialogue with residents and organizations concerned about the environmental, social, and economic impacts of data centers. The statement referred to events on September 25. The new development within this reporting period is the civic organization’s statement; the earlier demonstration should not be counted again as a new protest using the statement’s publication date. CREE statement
Analysis
These examples show demands for participation in decision-making alongside concerns about resource use. Petitions, protests outside council meetings, and questions at public meetings are distinct forms of civic participation. However, these few cases cannot establish a numerical increase in protests worldwide or conclusive success in stopping projects.
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