70% of Americans oppose data centers near their homes, now less popular than nuclear power plants — opposition to nearby AI infrastructure is heating up as tech companies ramp up projects to acquire more compute

A Gallup survey finds about 70% of Americans oppose data centers near their homes.

Local backlash is spreading through moratoriums, permit fights, and complaints about higher utility costs.

Concerns over water use, air pollution, noise, and other environmental impacts are also mounting.

The pushback could slow AI infrastructure buildouts and draw more political and regulatory scrutiny.