At least ten large data centers in France are sparking controversy, with growing public concern leading to resignations of local officials, petitions, and community mobilizations. These projects are raising questions about land use, resource consumption, and the impact on rural areas. On September 11, 2026, four officials from the small commune of Etrechet resigned in protest against Google's proposed data center in the Indre region. Etrechet, with just 1,000 residents, is one of many communities resisting large digital projects. Concerns include the loss of agricultural land, noise pollution, and the high electricity demands of these facilities, which critics say could turn rural landscapes into industrial zones. In an open letter, the Etrechet officials described Google's proposed campus as massive, covering 212 hectares—about the size of 300 football fields—and requiring 500 MW of electricity, more than half the power output of a standard nuclear reactor. Local residents also worry about rising energy costs and the risk of water shortages due to the project's demands. Similar concerns are being raised in other regions, such as Alsace, where Microsoft faces opposition from the collective "IA pas moyen !", which organized a mobilization day in September 2026. The group warns about health and environmental risks, including noise and electromagnetic fields, and notes that a single data center could use as much electricity as a city of 30,000 people. In the south of France, near Marseille, a coalition of environmental groups opposes the Telehouse project in Pennes-Mirabeau. The proposed complex of eight data centers would be built on six hectares of land, just 85 meters from a pine forest that suffered a major fire ten years ago. The heat generated by the data centers, estimated at 70 MW, could further increase the risk of wildfires in the area. Similarly, Mistral AI, a company linked to Bpifrance, MGX, and Nvidia, plans to build what it calls the "largest European campus dedicated to artificial intelligence" in Fouju, Seine-et-Marne. This project would include eleven data centers on a large agricultural plateau and require an investment of 50 billion euros. Local activists from the group "Stop Campus IA" argue that the scale of the investment is out of proportion with the needs of the surrounding rural area. While some local officials support these projects for the economic benefits they promise, such as job creation, public sentiment remains divided. The mayor of Châteauroux, for example, backs the Google project, which would create 1,200 direct jobs, and thirteen of the fourteen communes in the region support it. However, the gap between the economic promises and the potential environmental and social costs remains significant. This movement is not unique to France; according to ZDNet, 40% of data center projects in the United States are currently being abandoned. On July 18, 2026, 142 rallies took place across 42 U.S. states in the first coordinated national protest against such infrastructure. Texas, Georgia, and California were among the most active regions. In an attempt to ease tensions, some U.S. companies offer financial incentives to local communities. In Pennsylvania, NorthPoint Development offered $10,000 per household and $120 million for public services in exchange for support. However, these efforts have not been enough to quell public anger. In France, each new proposed data center project seems to trigger the formation of new local opposition groups, indicating that the debate over the role and impact of these facilities is far from over.