{
  "id": 7853655,
  "title": "Both Democrats and Republicans Are Increasingly Worried About AI's Environmental Impact",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/16/both-democrats-and-republicans-are-increasingly-worried-about-ais",
  "topic": "ai",
  "section": "AI",
  "published": "2026-09-16T19:20:24.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Time",
    "slug": "time",
    "url": "https://time.com/article/2026/09/16/majority-americans-worried-ai-environment-impact/"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "A recent poll reveals growing concern among Americans regarding the environmental impacts of AI, particularly as data centers expand across the country. Fifty-three percent of respondents expressed \"extremely\" or \"very\" concern over AI's environmental effects, a 12-point increase from the previous year. This worry is shared by Democrats, Republicans, and Independents alike, with 65% of Democrats, 42% of Republicans, and 49% of Independents expressing such concern this year.\n\nThe surge in AI-related data centers is driven by the rise of hyperscale facilities, which are larger, more powerful, and often used to train and operate large-scale AI models. As of now, there are 1,287 operational data centers in the U.S., with over 2,000 planned projects. Virginia and Texas lead in data center operations, but many new developments are expected in rural areas in the South and Midwest.\n\nThe environmental impacts of AI have Americans worried about electricity prices and water supply in communities hosting these data centers. A U.N. report predicts that water use by AI could expand dramatically, potentially threatening natural resources for billions. In the U.S., data centers could account for 11.8% of electricity consumption by 2030, according to a 2024 report from the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory.\n\nAmericans are more concerned about AI's environmental impact than other industries with significant footprints, like the meat industry or air travel. Sixty percent of Americans would support limiting new data center construction, with Democrats and Republicans showing the strongest support. However, Republicans are more likely to see benefits in data centers for infrastructure and job creation, despite 30% believing they are \"not very\" or \"not at all\" beneficial.\n\nClean energy solutions are favored by the majority, with 67% of Americans in favor of requiring data centers to use clean energy sources. Yet, without alternatives, data centers could consume more natural gas than most countries by 2035. The Trump Administration has supported data center expansion, urging communities to \"Let Data Reign.\" Despite this, 25% of U.S. adults surveyed believe data centers are \"extremely\" or \"very\" beneficial for technological advancement, while only about 20% think the same about job creation. Many U.S. adults see data centers as \"somewhat\" beneficial or unsure, with about a third stating no benefit for either. With over 300 moratoriums on data center growth enacted across the country, experts caution that a massive experiment in real-time is underway, with little room for reversing course.",
  "summary": "The concern is shared among Democrats and Republicans.",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}