Americans do not want AI data centers in their backyards
The Verge·May 14, 2026
Over 70 percent of Americans oppose AI data center construction in their area, according to a new Gallup survey. Just 7 percent said they were "strongly" in favor of new data centers. According to Gallup, data centers are so strongly disliked that Americans would prefer to live near a nuclear power plant than a data center - even at its peak, opposition to nuclear power plant construction topped out at 63 percent. Gallup's data is based on a March 2026 survey of 1,000 randomly selected American adults in all 50 US states and the District of Columbia, along with an April 2026 survey of 2,054 adults "who are members of the Gallup Panel." Amo …
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