A Gallup public opinion poll conducted in March of this year found that a clear majority of Americans would oppose a data center being built near their home. The results, released in recent days, mark Gallup's first time asking specifically about the local construction of data centers.
According to the survey, 71 percent of respondents oppose building data centers near where they live: 23 percent said they somewhat oppose such construction, while 48 percent said they strongly oppose it. Only 7 percent said they would not be bothered by a data center nearby, and 20 percent said they somewhat support building one.
Reasons for opposition
Respondents most commonly cited declines in quality of life and environmental concerns. About half of those who opposed new data centers pointed to strain on local resources. Within that group, 18 percent singled out excessive water use and another 18 percent highlighted energy consumption. Fifteen percent expressed worry about higher utility bills.
Other issues mentioned included effects on housing and property values: 22 percent raised quality-of-life concerns. Twelve percent were worried about job displacement of human workers, and 14 percent said they were concerned about pollution associated with AI-driven data centers.
Arguments from supporters
Among those not bothered by nearby data centers, 55 percent cited the potential for new jobs as the main benefit, and 17 percent pointed to technological advantages related to artificial intelligence. Only 3 percent of respondents mentioned the idea that data centers are necessary to keep the United States a global market leader as a reason to accept their construction.
Comparison with attitudes toward nuclear power
Opposition to data centers is considerably higher than opposition to local nuclear plants. Resistance to nearby nuclear facilities peaked in 2001, when 63 percent of Americans opposed building nuclear plants near their communities. Today that figure is 53 percent — noticeably lower than the 71 percent opposing data centers.
Historical nuclear incidents such as Chernobyl (1986), the Three Mile Island accident (1979), and Fukushima (2011) are often cited as background to enduring public concerns about nuclear energy.
Local pushback across political lines
The poll notes that communities in both Democratic- and Republican-led states are increasingly organizing against data centers planned near them. Those local movements may face an uphill battle, however, given the economic arguments and resources the industry can bring to bear.
Publication and sources
Media coverage of the survey has noted the comparison to past attitudes about nuclear power; some analyses reference reporting by Gizmodo. The percentages and timing above are drawn from Gallup's March survey.
