WASHINGTON, Sept. 5 (Xinhua) -- Across the United States, opposition to the construction of new AI data centers is growing, with residents raising concerns about their impact on local communities.
The data centers, supported by U.S. President Donald Trump, have emerged as a key topic ahead of the 2026 midterm elections. Recent polls have found that more than 70 percent of the public opposes data centers near them, according to The Wall Street Journal, forcing governors and candidates who had previously embraced AI to backtrack on their positions.
POWER PRESSURE
The biggest source of public concern is the strain that data centers place on the power grid, with residents worried that the rapid expansion of such facilities could lead to higher electricity bills.
The concern comes as electricity prices have climbed across the country. Average electricity costs in the U.S. have risen more than 35 percent in the last five years, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
Many consumers are blaming data centers for rising electricity costs, though the industry says it isn't solely to blame, according to the WSJ report.
The pressure is particularly visible in Texas, one of the country's fastest-growing data center hubs. The state recently froze new grid connections for data centers and launched an audit of proposed projects amid concerns over whether the surge in electricity demand can be reliably managed.
In March, major technology companies, including Microsoft, Amazon, Google, Meta, xAI, Oracle and OpenAI gathered at the White House to sign Trump's "ratepayer protection pledge," committing to "paying the full cost of their energy and infrastructure, no matter what."
However, the Financial Times reported the pledge lacks an enforcement mechanism and remains vague on which infrastructure costs data centers would have to cover.
OTHER CONCERNS
Beyond concerns about electricity costs, opposition has also focused on the broader environmental and community impacts of data centers.
In rural Nebraska, The Associated Press reported that residents worried about "dwindling farmland" and "declining water supplies" as large technology companies expand data center projects, while residents in East Texas complained of being forced to live in a "gas cloud" so data centers could get enough electricity.
The report also cited Kardal Coleman, who leads the Democratic Party in Dallas County, criticizing data centers for "replacing our jobs, polluting our air, and exacerbating the climate crisis, not to mention the noise disturbing our neighborhoods."
A lack of transparency and public involvement has further fueled opposition to data center projects. In Oklahoma, The Washington Post reported how one person opposing a Google data center project said residents had been "kept in the dark" about what would be built in their community.
WHO BENEFITS?
Trump has strongly supported the expansion of data centers during his second term, citing jobs and national security as reasons for accelerating the build-out.
"If they want to be successful and rich, with far lower taxes and jobs all over the place, let Data Reign," Trump said on social media, referring to communities that reject such projects.
But some data center activists were wary of politicians and powerful corporations asking people to sacrifice in exchange for economic revitalization that may never arrive, according to The Washington Post.
In West Virginia, resident Shaena Crossland said that she feared data centers could repeat the pattern of industries such as coal mining and logging, which extracted resources from the state while leaving many communities struggling economically.
"Hopefully this cycle of extraction and taking advantage of people will stop," Crossland said. ■