A hot potato: It's no secret that people don't want data centers built near their homes, but the sheer magnitude of these feelings has been revealed in a survey. Seven out of ten Americans say they oppose the construction of these facilities in their communities, with the sites proving even less popular than local nuclear power plants.
Given the huge number of negative stories about AI data centers, it's little wonder that people are against any being built near them.
A new Gallup survey shows 70% of Americans oppose constructing data centers for artificial intelligence in their local area, including 48% who strongly oppose them. That's a significant jump from the 47% who opposed these projects in a separate late-2025 survey.
The most-mentioned reason Americans are pushing back against local data centers is the facilities' effect on resources, which was cited by half of opponents. Water and energy consumption scored highest in this section.
These concerns are unsurprising. There have been numerous reports of data centers affecting nearby water supplies. One of the most shocking was a report last year about an Amazon data center that was reportedly linked to rare cancers and miscarriages.
There was also the data center boom in Georgia that sparked water worries and resident backlash, similar concerns around facilities in Virginia, and the recent story of a Fayette County construction site that used 29 million gallons of water without a single bill – all while residents complained of low water pressure.
Other reasons include quality-of-life concerns, effects on costs, pollution, economic effects, and the fact many people just don't like AI – or are scared of it.
For the 27% of participants who favor local data centers, 66% said local economic benefits – job opportunities, specifically – were the biggest factor.
This lines up with findings from a similar survey in January, in which 40% of those surveyed said data centers are mostly bad for the environment and home energy costs, but they also acknowledged the benefits of creating local jobs.
The nuclear comparison is an eye-opener. Gallup found that 53% of Americans oppose a nuclear plant being built near them, well below the roughly seven in ten who oppose an AI data center. Opposition to nuclear plants has never reached the level seen for data centers since Gallup started asking the question in 2001 – the highest has been 63%.
Companies often promise tax revenue, construction work, and permanent jobs when seeking approval for AI data centers, but many residents see enormous, windowless facilities that swallow electricity and water while offering limited benefits once the building work is done.
The pushback is already slowing some projects through regulatory fights, packed public hearings, and local moratoriums. When nuclear plants are the more popular option, convincing communities to embrace AI data centers is going to be a tough sell.