Brookfield Asset Management Ltd.Backed Compass Datacenters, which withdrew from the project after court voided approval.
A community in Virginia has successfully defeated the $100 billion Digital Gateway data center project after five years of opposition, sparking a nationwide movement against AI projects. The project, located in Prince William County near Manassas National Battlefield Park, planned to build 37 buildings and consume 3.5 gigawatts of electricity, equivalent to the city of Tampa. Developers Compass Datacenters (backed by Brookfield) and QTS (backed by Blackstone) withdrew in April and July respectively, after a court voided the approval process due to errors in public notices. Seven in ten Americans do not want to live near data centers, and at least 75 projects have been affected by opposition movements in the first quarter of 2026. President Trump has attacked the opponents, while New York State has suspended development and Texas has imposed a moratorium on new projects. The conflict is also fueled by land prices that have soared fivefold, with QTS offering $500,000 per acre and Compass offering double that for smaller parcels.
Brookfield Asset Management Ltd.Backed Compass Datacenters, which withdrew from the project after court voided approval.
Blackstone Group IncBacked QTS, which withdrew after court voided approval process.
QTS withdrew from the project after court voided approval process.