Surveys conducted over the past year show that opposition to data centers being built near American homes has grown rapidly. According to a Heatmap Pro survey reported by TechSpot, 71% of Americans would oppose a data center in their neighborhood, with 55% saying they strongly oppose such a project, up from 42% opposition recorded in August 2025. A separate Gallup survey from May found 70% of Americans opposed to local data center construction, up from 47% in late 2025.<\/p>\n
The Heatmap Pro survey reported by TechSpot found that 71% of Americans would oppose a data center in their neighborhood, with 55% saying they strongly oppose such a project. That figure represents a sharp shift from August 2025, when the same poll found just 42% opposed to nearby facilities, and from a follow-up survey three months later that recorded 51% opposition. Over nine months, public support for data centers declined by 49 points, according to the report.<\/p>\n
A separate Gallup survey from May produced a similar result, with 70% of Americans opposed to local data center construction, up from 47% in late 2025. Respondents in that poll most often cited water and energy consumption as their concerns, and said they would rather live next to a nuclear power plant than a data center.<\/p>\n
Rising power bills appear to be driving much of the frustration. In the Heatmap data, 53% of participants blamed data centers for higher electricity costs, compared with 28% nine months earlier. Data centers were the top reason cited for those increases.<\/p>\n
In March, major technology companies including Google, Microsoft, Meta, Amazon, Oracle, OpenAI, and xAI signed a voluntary “ratepayer protection pledge” at the White House, responding to a call from President Trump. The companies promised to cover the energy costs of their expanding AI facilities rather than pass them on to local electricity customers. The pledge is voluntary and difficult to enforce, but it has drawn the attention of regulators. FERC is preparing action on large-load interconnection rules, Congress has seen legislation requiring data centers to pay for grid upgrades, and several states and grid operators are tightening requirements. Watchdogs have noted that surging AI-driven demand is already contributing to higher wholesale power costs in some regions.<\/p>\n
Energy is not the only flashpoint. Reports have linked data centers to strain on nearby water supplies, including a story last year about an Amazon facility that residents connected to rare cancers and miscarriages. Georgia’s data center expansion prompted local water worries and resident backlash, and similar concerns have surfaced in Virginia. In one recent case, a Fayette County construction site reportedly used 29 million gallons of water without an apparent bill, while nearby residents complained of low water pressure.<\/p>\n
Data centers are part of a wider set of grievances about artificial intelligence, from workforce disruption to the spread of low-quality content online. Some technology leaders and economists have pushed back on the negative narrative, with OpenAI’s Sam Altman saying there is “zero evidence” of AI-related job losses. Altman has also previously dismissed water-use concerns about data centers as “fake,” while also drawing attention to the energy required to “train a human.” The gap between industry assurances and the experiences reported by residents near these facilities appears to be widening, and the polling suggests that frustration is translating into measurable, and growing, public opposition.<\/p>\n
According to a Heatmap Pro survey reported by TechSpot, 71% of Americans would oppose a data center in their neighborhood, with 55% saying they strongly oppose such a project. A separate Gallup survey from May found 70% opposed to local data center construction.<\/p>\n
In March, Google, Microsoft, Meta, Amazon, Oracle, OpenAI, and xAI signed a voluntary pledge at the White House, responding to a call from President Trump, promising to cover the energy costs of their expanding AI facilities rather than pass them on to local electricity customers.<\/p>\n
Respondents most often cited water and energy consumption, with 53% of participants in the Heatmap data blaming data centers for higher electricity costs. Local conflicts have included reports of strain on water supplies in Georgia and Virginia and a Fayette County construction site that reportedly used 29 million gallons of water without an apparent bill.<\/p>\n