Why Americans Are Turning Against Data Centers

Today’s StocksMoneyMarketsWhy Americans Are Turning Against Data CentersByJames Broughel,Contributor.Forbes contributors publish independent expert analyses and insights. James Broughel is an economist focused on the economics of regulation.Follow AuthorMay 20, 2026, 05:39am EDT--:-- / --:--This voice experience is generated by AI. Learn more.This voice experience is generated by AI. Learn more.As AI use expands, communities are increasingly questioning the costs of the infrastructure behind it.gettyAmericans have found a new technology they do not want built nearby. According to a recent Gallup poll, 71 percent of adults oppose the construction of AI data centers in their local area, and nearly half say they are strongly opposed. Gallup also found that opposition to nearby data centers now runs higher than opposition to a nearby nuclear power plant, which stood at 53 percent in the same survey. That is striking, since nuclear power has long been a touchstone for local resistance.An easy reaction is to dismiss public perceptions as irrational. Data centers are part of the digital economy. They make artificial intelligence possible. They house the servers behind search engines, logistics systems, emergency services, and countless other digital conveniences Americans increasingly expect to happen instantly. Many people who oppose a data center close by probably use services that require one.But voters and residents are not tabulating a national income accounting exercise when a project is proposed down the road. They are asking what will happen to their electric bills, their water supply, their roads, housing prices, and the character of their community. In Gallup’s follow-up survey, opponents pointed most often to environmental and resource concerns, including water and electricity use. Supporters, by contrast, mostly pointed to jobs and tax revenue. The balance of perceived costs and benefits looks very different depending on whether one sees a facility as essential...