The more Americans hear about datacenters, the less they like them

A recent Pew Research Center survey reveals growing American skepticism towards datacenters, with negative perceptions on environmental impact, energy costs, and quality of life for nearby residents. Conducted from July 20 to August 9, the poll of 10,548 US adults found that 54% view datacenters as mostly bad for the environment, up from 39% in January.

Similarly, 50% believe they are detrimental to household energy expenses, up from 38%, while 49% expressed negativity towards their effect on nearby communities' quality of life, up from 30%.

Only 4% of respondents viewed datacenters positively in each category, with views on local employment and tax revenue being more evenly split. Interestingly, 12% of participants claimed they had not heard of datacenters. This shift in perception spans across demographics, with negative attitudes rising among men and women, adults of various ages and education levels, and urban, suburban, and rural residents alike.

The trend also appears to cut across party lines, although Democrats remain more negative than Republicans, with 42% of the latter group now considering datacenters a negative impact on nearby residents' quality of life, up from 24% in January.

The surge in negative sentiment coincides with heightened scrutiny over datacenters' energy and water consumption, as well as their impact on household utility bills. US senators are currently investigating rising energy bills, disclosure gaps, and allegations of excessive water usage by datacenter operators. Amazon's chief sustainability officer recently urged communities to hold the company accountable for datacenters and called for greater transparency regarding their environmental effects.

The industry has long recognized its image problem, with executives at last year's Datacloud Global Congress discussing strategies to win over communities wary of new facilities. Republican officials have taken divergent stances, with former President Trump consistently supporting datacenter construction to bolster US competitiveness against China, while Texas Governor Greg Abbott imposed a statewide moratorium in August after initially backing expansion.

Trump has also attributed opposition to datacenters to Chinese propaganda. Despite the varying causes, 60% of respondents expressed discomfort with a new datacenter operating in their vicinity. Majorities of urban, suburban, and rural Americans agreed with this sentiment.