President Trump declared on Monday that communities in the United States should embrace data centers to avoid becoming “backwards and poor.”
“If they want to be successful and rich, with far lower taxes and jobs all over the place, let Data Reign. The good news is that there are plenty of other places that want them,” Trump stated. He added, “China could not be happier with this anti Data Center movement. Actually, they can’t believe it is happening!”
Recent polling shows 70 percent of Americans oppose constructing a data center in their local area to support AI. The opposition has grown across political lines, with 60 percent of Republicans and 76 percent of Democrats expressing concern.
A major worry among opponents centers on environmental and financial impacts. According to an analyst at the Environmental and Energy Study Institute, a medium-sized data center consumes up to 110 million gallons of water annually for cooling—a volume equivalent to roughly 1,000 households’ yearly usage.
Despite Trump’s administration advancing ratepayer protections, major tech companies including Meta, Amazon, and Google have committed to funding increased energy costs through his pledge.
Trump previously defended the initiative, stating that data centers and AI dramatically increase electricity demand and it is “only fair” for corporations to bear infrastructure costs rather than American consumers.
Public skepticism has intensified as projects accelerate. A recent survey revealed 70 percent of Americans oppose building facilities near their communities, while another poll showed 41 percent would reject a site within three miles of their home—a rise from 28 percent in January.
Opposition has spread across the political spectrum and influenced policy. New York enacted the nation’s first statewide data center moratorium in July, with lawmakers in more than a dozen other states considering similar restrictions.
The resistance has caused significant delays. A report indicates over 500 localities have stalled development, while nearly $130 billion worth of projects were halted in the first three months of 2026 alone—comparable to the number blocked during all of 2025.
Concerns about electricity costs drive much of the backlash. Recent polling shows 62 percent of Americans believe local data centers would raise their bills, compared with just 3 percent who expect cost reductions.
