In the Trenches: Battery Storage Moratoriums Sweep New York, Data Centers Face Revolt in Utah, and Solar Projects Stall from Ohio to Vermont
New York state now leads the nation with 98 municipalities that have enacted moratoriums on battery energy storage systems, accounting for nearly two-thirds of all such local bans nationwide — a striking measure of how quickly community opposition to grid-scale storage has spread. The milestone, reported this week, came as towns across the Adirondacks rushed to impose their own freezes and a Minnesota judge recommended outright denial of a battery facility permit after more than a year of contentious hearings.
From solar farms meeting resistance in Wisconsin, Ohio, Vermont, and Maine, to data center proposals drawing thousands of angry residents in Utah, the week of May 15–22, 2026, offered a panoramic view of the challenges facing energy and digital infrastructure development across rural and suburban America. Here is what happened.
Battery Storage Under Siege
No energy technology faced a rougher week than battery energy storage systems. The most sweeping development came from New York, where Environment + Energy Leader reported that 98 municipalities statewide have now enacted moratoriums on BESS projects — a figure that represents roughly two-thirds of all such municipal moratoriums across the entire country. The rapid cascade of local bans has become a significant obstacle to New York's ambitious clean energy targets, which depend heavily on energy storage to balance intermittent renewable generation on the grid.
Nowhere is that trend more visible than in the Adirondack region, where the Adirondack Explorer documented a growing wave of towns imposing their own moratoriums on battery storage facilities. A judge has issued a temporary restraining order on what would be the Adirondack Park's first utility-scale battery installation, adding legal uncertainty to the development pipeline in one of the state's most iconic landscapes. Residents and local officials have cited fire safety risks, environmental concerns, and the perceived incompatibility of industrial-scale energy infrastructure with the park's rural and recreational character.
In the town of Ticonderoga, the Town Board voted unanimously to impose a moratorium on battery energy storage facilities following a public meeting, according to NBC5. The vote reflected a pattern seen in dozens of New York communities: local officials moving preemptively to block projects before formal applications arrive, often citing a lack of existing zoning frameworks to evaluate the technology.
The resistance is not confined to New York. In Minnesota, an administrative law judge recommended denying permits for a battery energy storage facility along the Shell Rock River after more than a year of public opposition and contentious hearings, the Waverly Newspapers reported. Environmental concerns — particularly the facility's proximity to the river and potential impacts on local ecosystems — drove the recommendation, which now goes to state regulators for a final decision.
In Thurston County, Washington, residents opposed to a proposed BESS in the southern part of the county brought their appeal before county commissioners, The Olympian reported. The project had previously cleared a lower review but now faces a formal appeal process that could delay or derail it. Meanwhile, in Bristol and Wheatland, Wisconsin, a developer called Robin Energy Storage announced it would hold a community forum to address what the Kenosha County Eye described as growing local controversy over a proposed battery site. The decision to host a public session suggests the developer is attempting to get ahead of organized opposition before it hardens into a formal moratorium push.
Solar Siting Battles
Solar energy faced its own constellation of setbacks this week, with projects stalled, withdrawn, or approved over fierce objections in four states.
In Wisconsin, the state Public Service Commission approved a solar farm project near Oconto Falls in Oconto County despite sustained community pushback, Fox 11 reported. Residents in the Town of Morgan had raised environmental and agricultural concerns throughout the permitting process, but state officials ultimately determined the project met regulatory requirements. The approval underscores the tension between state-level siting authority and local opposition — a dynamic playing out in permitting fights across the country.
Ohio offered a different outcome. In Champaign County, the Hillclimber Solar LLC permit application was withdrawn, and county Prosecuting Attorney Talebi publicly applauded the dismissal, according to the Peak of Ohio. The withdrawal came after sustained local opposition, though the specific concerns that drove the pushback were not detailed in reporting. The case represents an increasingly common outcome: developers voluntarily pulling applications when it becomes clear that the local political environment is inhospitable.
In Vermont, Canary Media explored a revealing paradox in the town of Lowell, which years ago embraced a wind farm on its ridgelines but is now resisting large-scale solar development. Residents in the town — and across rural Vermont more broadly — have pushed back against proposals to convert farmland into solar arrays, raising concerns about agricultural loss, visual impact, and the industrialization of the landscape. The story highlights how community acceptance of one form of clean energy does not necessarily translate to acceptance of another, even in the same town.
The politics of solar siting also surfaced in Maine, where Inside Climate News reported that a Democratic state Senate candidate, Graham Platner, had voted as a member of the Sullivan Planning Board to pursue a moratorium on all solar projects other than rooftop installations while the town developed permitting rules. The vote illustrates how solar siting has become a bipartisan concern in rural communities — and a potential political liability for candidates on both sides of the aisle.
Data Center Disputes
Opposition to data center development continued to intensify in Utah, where the construction boom driven by artificial intelligence and cloud computing has collided with residents' concerns about water, energy, and quality of life.
In Iron County, residents spoke out for nearly four hours against a proposed data center during an open house in Cedar City, The Salt Lake Tribune reported. Speakers raised alarms about the facility's projected water consumption, noise levels, and energy demands in a region already grappling with drought and limited infrastructure. "I do not want this," one resident told officials — a sentiment that echoed across the packed room. The Iron County pushback follows weeks of escalating opposition in Box Elder County, where residents have organized rallies at the state Capitol against a separate massive data center proposal.
In Texas, a new dimension of the data center debate emerged. A University of Houston survey of Houston-area residents found that while 85 percent use artificial intelligence tools, nearly 63 percent oppose the construction of data centers within one mile of their homes, according to the university. The primary concerns were power grid reliability and energy demand — particularly salient in a state that has experienced high-profile grid failures. Notably, the survey found that 32 percent of opponents said they would support a nearby data center if it were powered by renewable energy rather than fossil fuels, suggesting that the source of a facility's electricity may be a meaningful lever for developer negotiations. In an unexpected finding, Gen Z respondents were the most skeptical of both AI and local data center development.
Wind Energy Pushback
In Apache County, Arizona, residents packed a Planning and Zoning Commission meeting to press concerns about wind energy development, the White Mountain Independent reported. Commissioners responded by considering a path toward a moratorium on renewable energy projects in the county — a step that, if enacted, would freeze not only wind but potentially solar development as well. The meeting reflected broad rural anxiety about large-scale energy projects in a county defined by open landscapes, ranching, and tribal lands. Specific concerns included noise, wildlife impacts, and the visual transformation of the horizon line.
What to Watch
- Thurston County, Washington: County commissioners are weighing a formal appeal of a battery energy storage facility that has drawn significant resident opposition. A final decision could set a precedent for BESS siting in the Puget Sound region. (The Olympian)
- Apache County, Arizona: The Planning and Zoning Commission is exploring a potential moratorium on renewable energy projects following its packed public hearing. Whether the county moves forward with a formal moratorium vote could signal a new front of opposition in the rural West. (White Mountain Independent)
- Bristol/Wheatland, Wisconsin: Robin Energy Storage's upcoming community forum on its proposed battery site will serve as a critical test of whether developer engagement can defuse opposition before it results in a moratorium or permit denial. (Kenosha County Eye)
Trends and Patterns
This week's stories reveal several converging dynamics in the national landscape of infrastructure opposition. Battery energy storage systems have emerged as the fastest-growing target of local moratoriums, with New York's 98 municipal bans representing an organized resistance movement that has outpaced anything seen with solar or wind. The data center battles in Utah and Texas demonstrate that opposition to energy-intensive digital infrastructure is no longer a localized phenomenon but a multi-state concern increasingly centered on water scarcity and grid reliability. Across all project types, a common thread persists: the gap between state-level clean energy mandates and local land-use authority continues to widen, with communities asserting control through moratoriums, permit withdrawals, and marathon public hearings rather than waiting for state regulators to act on their behalf.