Data Center Leaders to Tackle Community Trust and Permitting Delays at ITW 2026

As public opposition to data center construction intensifies across the United States, industry leaders will confront what experts are calling a growing misinformation dilemma at the International Telecoms Week 2026 conference in National Harbor, Maryland. The panel discussion arrives at a moment when permitting delays now threaten nearly half of all data center projects nationwide.

The Details

Ilissa Miller, Founder and CEO of iMiller Public Relations, will join a panel titled "Debunking the Data Center Misinformation Dilemma" at ITW 2026 on May 19, 2026, from 10:40 a.m. to 11:20 a.m. The session is part of the conference's Digital Infrastructure Policy and Investment Summit.

The panel will examine how public perception and community concerns are increasingly shaping data center development timelines, particularly around environmental impact, water usage, and energy sources.

Miller will be joined by Buddy Rizer, Executive Director of the Loudoun County Department of Economic Development; Joanna Soucy, Executive Vice President of Brand Strategy at Aligned Data Centers; Holly Elwood, Vice President at the Global Electronics Council; and Kanan Joshi, Partner at CVC DIF. Chris Pumphrey, Managing Director of Signal Ventures GA, LLC, will moderate the discussion.

Miller also serves as a board member of OIX and chairperson of the organization's Digital Infrastructure Framework Committee, known as DIFC.

ITW 2026 will take place May 18 through 21, 2026, at the Gaylord National Resort and Convention Center in National Harbor, Maryland. The conference brings together telecommunications and digital infrastructure professionals from around the world.

Context

Permitting delays and project opposition are increasingly driven by community uncertainty around data center environmental and energy impacts, with industry experts identifying community alignment as a critical gating factor for development timelines.

Environmental services provider Veolia reported that permitting delays now jeopardize close to 50 percent of data center projects in the planning or construction phase. The finding underscores the scale of regulatory and community-driven bottlenecks facing the industry as it races to expand capacity.

Projections indicate that by 2030, water use from data centers and chip fabrication will reach a volume comparable to the needs of 46 million individuals, while worldwide data center capacity is forecast to almost triple. Those projections amplify concerns in communities where facilities are already competing for local water and energy resources.

Public opposition to AI and data center infrastructure is intensifying across multiple U.S. states. Lawmakers in Georgia and Arizona have proposed measures to roll back tax incentives, and some communities are pushing for construction bans. TechCrunch reported that public backlash over data center construction is leading to policy changes including bans on new construction and repeal of tax incentives in multiple states.

Miller said in a statement that communities are often asked to evaluate complex infrastructure projects without consistent frameworks or accessible information. She added that by improving how the industry communicates its impact, from sustainability initiatives to economic contributions, more informed discussions and better outcomes can be created for all stakeholders.

What's Next

The ITW 2026 panel on May 19 will focus on strategies for improving industry communication around sustainability initiatives and economic contributions to foster more informed community discussions. Panelists are expected to address how the sector can respond to permitting bottlenecks and public skepticism as it pursues aggressive expansion targets. As data center capacity is projected to nearly triple by 2030, the sector faces mounting pressure to address environmental and energy concerns ahead of further expansion. The outcome of discussions at ITW may shape how the industry approaches community engagement in the months ahead.