According to a Gallup survey published on May 13, 7 out of 10 Americans oppose the construction of artificial intelligence data centers in their local area, including 48% who strongly oppose them. Only 27% support such projects.
Opposition is even stronger than that observed toward the construction of nuclear power plants, which 53% of Americans say they oppose.
Nuclear power plants have never faced as much opposition as data centers do today. The peak of anti-nuclear sentiment was reached in 2001, when 63% of Americans held unfavorable views.
When asked about their concerns, 50% of Americans cite environmental impacts; specifically, 18% are concerned about water consumption, another 18% worry about electricity consumption, while 14% mention environmental impacts in general.
Opposition is stronger among Democrats, with 75% opposing data centers compared with 63% of Republicans.
Women (55%) are also more likely than men (43%) to express strong opposition to the construction of data centers.
And in Europe…
According to a survey conducted by Savanta in late 2025 on behalf of the Beyond Fossil Fuels coalition across five key European countries (Germany, Ireland, Spain, Switzerland, and the United Kingdom),
– 76% of respondents believe that data centers should only be allowed if they are powered by renewable energy;
– 64% are firmly opposed to the opening of data centers if they rely, even partially, on fossil fuels;
– 75% are concerned about the impact of data center water consumption on local ecosystems.
What About Greenhouse Gas Emissions?
According to The Shift Project, the current growth trajectory of data centers will result in global annual emissions of 630 MtCO2e to 920 MtCO2e by 2030, equivalent to up to twice France’s total annual emissions.
These emissions will have increased 2.5-fold in just ten years and will account for 1.2% to 1.4% of global greenhouse gas emissions by 2030, across all sectors combined.
This increase would offset 30% of global efforts to improve the electricity generation mix and would be inconsistent with the annual 5% emissions reduction pathway required to achieve net-zero emissions.
Sources:
– Americans Oppose AI Data Centers
– AI – The Shift Project Final Report
– Europeans Want to Limit the Impact of Data Centers | Beyond Fossil Fuels
