- Opposition to data centers continues to grow across the US
- Gallup poll finds people would rather have a nuclear plant in their area than a data center
- Environmental concerns, noise pollution and extra costs all named as major worries
The majority of American would object to new data centers being built in their local area, with many even preferring new nuclear power facilities instead, new data has claimed.
A Gallup poll found over seven in 10 (71%) of Americans oppose nearby construction of data centers for AI with nearly half (48%) who are strongly opposed – significantly higher to the proportion (53%) who said they’d oppose the building of a nuclear energy plant in their area.
Only 20% said they were in favor of such projects, with just 7% strongly in favor.
Data center opposition grows
The findings, the first time Gallup has canvassed opinion on this area, come as opposition to new data centers skyrockets across the US, with worries over noise, health concerns and environmental damage continuing to rise.
These concerns were reflected in the survey findings, as 70% of respondents said they were worried to some degree about how data centers would impact the local environment.
This included 50% highlighting excessive use of resources, with 18% mentioning both the high usage of water and energy, with a similar amount (16%) mentioned noise pollution and air and water pollution, and others saying they would preferring the land be used for other purposes.
Among other opposition was the impact on the local quality of life, specifically around increased population and traffic, as well as potentially negative economic consequences such as higher utility bills, cost-of-living increases, and the potential use of taxpayer funds to build the centers.
Those who said they were in favor of new data centers named benefits to the local economy, the creation of jobs, and increased tax revenues as potential plus points.
Concerns were also fairly consistent across all major demographic groups and the political spectrum, however Republican voters were slightly more likely to be in favor than Democrats.
“For AI usage to expand in the US, data centers that can handle the necessary computing power will have to be built,” Gallup noted in its write-up.
“But most Americans appear to be adopting a “not in my backyard” attitude to building additional data centers, and that attitude is especially intense, given that nearly half strongly oppose that construction.”
“Overcoming this opposition stands as a major hurdle in the expansion of AI computing. The intensity of opposition means that proposed data centers are likely to spur grassroots activism from local residents as well as legal challenges. It also indicates that AI infrastructure could become an important campaign issue in local and state elections this year, and politicians who favor data centers in their area are likely taking a politically risky stance.”
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