Big Tech has failed to win over Americans on its rapid build-out of data centers – and souring public opinion on the power-hungry sites could play a critical role in midterm elections across the country.
People would rather see a nuclear power plant built in their neighborhood than a data center, a May Gallup poll found, with a whopping 71% of Americans opposed to the latter.
In comparison, 53% opposed new nuclear energy plants.
This new form of NIMBYism is taking hold on both ends of the political spectrum, and the share of voters who oppose data center construction is growing, according to a July survey conducted by independent polling group Public First.
In January, people who said they voted for Democratic Kamala Harris for president in 2024 were split on the issue, with 36% saying they would support a data center being built within three miles of their home and 33% saying they would not.
By July, 53% of Harris voters opposed a data center site, while just 22% said they would support it.
Even among those who voted for Republican President Trump — who has praised the rapid rise of AI for drawing billions of dollars in infrastructure investment and potentially creating swaths of jobs — 33% said they would oppose a data center, up from 26% in July.
The share who said they would support a data center project dropped nine percentage points to 34%.
Increasingly negative opinions of the emerging tech could play a pivotal role in elections around the nation, as more than 200 data centers are being built in dozens of competitive House districts, according to a recent Politico analysis.
Politicians on both sides of the aisle are eager to separate themselves from the controversial centers as their seats are up for grabs this fall – but many are unsure just how far to go in their efforts to limit new construction.
Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro, a potential Democratic presidential contender in 2028, recently signed an executive order restricting data center development in the state, taking a stand against what he called “predatory” developers.
Texas Gov. Greg Abbott, a Republican, issued a pause on data center approvals and created a set of standards that several companies agreed to follow regarding water and electricity use and quality-of-life for nearby residents.
He said another company that refused to comply with his requirements has dropped its project.
In New York, Gov. Kathy Hochul in July issued a first-of-its-kind moratorium on large-scale data center construction – though it has drawn backlash from AI supporters who warn the ban could quash construction jobs. Other critics fear the regulation isn’t strict enough.
Tech firms like Google, Meta, Amazon and Microsoft – four of the largest data center builders – are anxiously trying to turn the tide as they seek looser government regulations on the rollout of new AI products.
Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg launched an AI optimism campaign this summer, writing in a Wall Street Journal op-ed that the new tech will unlock widespread prosperity. He even argued against potential US bans on AI models from US rival China.
OpenAI has released a flurry of ads that paint its technology in a positive light, including one that shows a young man using ChatGPT to find a recipe to impress his date and another that shows an elderly woman knitting as she chit-chats with the AI bot.
But the messaging appears to be getting drowned out by horror stories that consistently turn up in online searches about data centers.
Social media users who oppose data centers have cited environmental issues, noise and light pollution and economic concerns, like the potential for the new tech to eradicate many jobs.
One TikTok video with over 11 million views shows a homeowner in Dowagiac, Mich., sitting on a porch and listening to a high-pitched whining sound that allegedly comes from a nearby data center 24/7.
Last month, residents there launched a class action lawsuit against Hyperscale Data, the site operator, over allegations of excessive noise pollution.
Hyperscale has said it remains “committed to being a good neighbor” and is working to reduce sound levels in the area.
One woman, Ansley Brown, racked up millions of views on Instagram and TikTok with videos alleging that Georgia Power was seizing her childhood home to tear it down and expand existing power lines to support data center projects, including a large site in Fayetteville.
Georgia Power has denied the allegations. Brown said her congressman, Republican Rep. Brian Jack, helped connect her with Georgia Power. According to reports, her family has settled with the utility for an undisclosed amount.
In another social media video, a young woman says that the Pennsylvania golf course where she has been working each summer is being closed and turned into a data center.
Such videos have been flooded with comments calling for tighter regulations of data center build-outs, with some demanding total bans.
“We don’t even need data centers,” said one commenter, who racked up more than 75,000 likes.