American opposition to nearby data centers surges from 42% to 71% in nine months
American opposition to nearby data centers has surged from 42% to 71% in just nine months, according to a new Heatmap Pro survey. About 55% of respondents said they “strongly” oppose such a project, and 53% now blame data centers for rising power bills, up from 28% in August 2025. The shift puts the AI buildout on a collision course with local community sentiment.
How fast has opposition grown?
Heatmap first polled the question in August 2025, when 42% of Americans opposed a data center being built near their homes. A follow-up survey three months ago put the figure at 51%. The latest reading of 71% represents a roughly 49-point swing across those two waves of measurement.
What is driving the backlash?
Electricity costs top the list of grievances. According to the Heatmap report, 53% of respondents blamed data centers for rising power bills, up from 28% nine months earlier. Participants named data centers as the leading cause of higher electricity costs, ahead of other commonly cited factors.
Water use is a close second. Recent reporting has highlighted cases where data center operations affected nearby supplies. One widely shared story described an Amazon facility reportedly linked to rare cancers and miscarriages in a surrounding community. Georgia and Virginia have both seen resident pushback over water consumption tied to data center buildouts. In Fayette County, a construction site reportedly used 29 million gallons of water without a single bill while local residents complained of low water pressure.
Is Heatmap the only one tracking this?
A Gallup survey in May found a similar pattern: 70% of Americans opposed local data center construction, up from 47% in late 2025. Water and energy consumption were the most-cited reasons for opposition in that poll. Respondents also indicated they would rather live next to a nuclear power plant than a data center.
What is the ratepayer protection pledge?
In March, following a call from President Trump, major tech companies including Google, Microsoft, Meta, Amazon, Oracle, OpenAI, and xAI signed a voluntary “ratepayer protection pledge” at the White House. The companies committed to covering the energy costs of their expanding AI data centers rather than passing those costs to local electricity customers. The pledge remains voluntary and difficult to enforce, and watchdog groups have warned that surging AI data center demand is already helping drive up wholesale power costs in some regions.
What regulatory action is underway?
The pledge has pushed the issue into formal regulatory channels. FERC is preparing action on large-load interconnection rules. Congress has seen legislation that would require data centers to pay for grid upgrades, and several states and grid operators are moving ahead with tougher requirements of their own.
How does this fit into the wider AI debate?
Data centers are only part of the picture. The wider debate over AI is fueling additional friction, from workplace layoffs to concerns about the quality of online content. Some tech industry figures, including OpenAI CEO Sam Altman, have pushed back against the negative narrative, arguing there is little evidence of AI-related job losses. Altman has also previously dismissed water-use concerns around data centers as “fake,” while later highlighting the energy required to “train a human.”
Whether voluntary pledges and new regulations will be enough to reverse public opinion remains an open question. For now, the gap between the pace of AI infrastructure expansion and local community acceptance is widening, not closing.
FAQ
How quickly has American opposition to nearby data centers grown?
Opposition rose from 42% in August 2025 to 71% nine months later, according to a Heatmap Pro survey, with 55% saying they “strongly” oppose such a project.
Why are Americans turning against data centers?
Electricity costs and water use are the top reasons. The Heatmap survey found 53% blame data centers for rising power bills, up from 28% nine months earlier, and water consumption tied to buildouts has triggered pushback in Georgia, Virginia, and elsewhere.
Have other polls found the same pattern?
Yes. A Gallup survey in May found 70% of Americans opposed local data center construction, up from 47% in late 2025, with water and energy consumption cited as the leading reasons.