Data center backlash poised to play critical role in midterms: ‘We don’t even need data centers’

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Key points

• While just 22% stated they would backing it, by July, 53% of Harris voters resisted a data center site.
• Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg introduced an AI optimism campaign this summer, writing in a Wall Street Journal op-ed that the new tech will unlock widespread prosperity.
• The share who remarked they would backing a data center project dropped nine percentage points to 34%.
• Last month, residents there introduced a class action lawsuit against Hyperscale Data, the site operator, over allegations of excessive noise pollution.
• But the messaging appears to be getting drowned out by horror stories that consistently turn up in online searches regarding data centers.

Major 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 nationwide.

Individuals would rather see a nuclear power plant built in their neighborhood than a data center, a May Gallup poll identified, with a whopping 71% of Americans resisted to the latter. In comparison, 53% resisted 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, individuals who stated they voted for Democratic Kamala Harris for president in 2024 were split on the matter, with 36% saying they would backing a data center being built within three miles of their home and 33% saying they would not.

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% remarked they would oppose a data center, up from 26% in July.

For context, the share who remarked they would backing a data center project dropped nine percentage points to 34%.

As more than 200 data centers are being built in dozens of competitive House districts, according to a recent Politico analysis, increasingly negative opinions of the emerging tech could play a pivotal role in elections around the nation.

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 plenty of 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, lately 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 a number of businesses agreed to follow regarding water and electricity employ and quality-of-life for nearby residents.

He remarked another business 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 administration regulations on the rollout of new AI products.

Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg introduced 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 published a flurry of ads that paint its technology in a positive light, including one that indicates a young man using ChatGPT to find a recipe to impress his date and another that demonstrates an elderly woman knitting as she chit-chats with the AI bot.

Social media users who oppose data centers have cited environmental problems, noise and light pollution and economic worries, like the potential for the new tech to eradicate plenty of jobs.

One TikTok video with over 11 million views demonstrates 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.

Hyperscale has remarked 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 backing data center projects, including a substantial site in Fayetteville.

Georgia Power has denied the allegations. Brown remarked her congressman, Republican Rep. Brian Jack, supported connect her with Georgia Power. As reports indicate, her family has settled with the utility for an undisclosed amount.

In another social media video, a young woman notes 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, " remarked one commenter. This person racked up more than 75, 000 likes.

For now, data center backlash poised to play critical role in midterms: 'We don't remains the part of the story worth watching, and further updates are likely as more details are confirmed.