Grassroots groups opposing rapid data center expansion pressed state lawmakers on Tuesday for new zoning rules and consumer protections. The push came a day after organizers coordinated 142 protests across 42 states over the weekend, marking their largest mobilization to date.

The protests targeted the surge in artificial intelligence and cloud computing facilities, which consume large amounts of electricity and water. Opponents in Virginia, Georgia, and Texas have argued that residential ratepayers shoulder higher utility bills to serve the industry's demand.

Coalition organizers plan to deliver petitions to governors' offices and legislative leaders, seeking moratoriums on new construction until impact studies are completed. Groups in Virginia, home to the nation's largest concentration of data centers in Loudoun County, aim to press the General Assembly for stricter siting standards.

The industry has defended its investment, pointing to tax revenue and construction jobs. The Data Center Coalition, a trade group representing operators including Amazon, Google, and Microsoft, says companies pay for their own power infrastructure and negotiate rates with utilities.

State regulators in several jurisdictions have already opened reviews of how data center demand affects electricity pricing. Virginia's State Corporation Commission has examined whether large customers should bear more of the cost of new transmission capacity.