Lenders tighten scrutiny of US data center financing as local opposition grows

Lenders are scrutinizing financing for US data center projects more closely as opposition from local communities builds, according to reporting. The concern centers on permitting and siting risk: projects that face organized local resistance carry longer timelines and greater chance of cancellation, which affects the credit assessment of the debt used to fund them. The shift comes as AI-driven capacity plans have pushed data center construction to record levels, much of it funded with structured debt.