The American public may have mixed opinions about the impact of data centers on their communities, according to
various polls and
surveys about the topic, but the country’s top executive is all for it.
In an interview published
over the weekend, U.S. President Donald Trump said that communities that “don’t take a data center” are “making a mistake” by rejecting “tremendous amounts of jobs and money.”
Trump
made similar remarks at the White House last week. “If I were the mayor of a town or the governor of a state, and I had a chance to get a big plant in, an AI plant or a data center,” he said then, “I would absolutely want it because the jobs are enormous and the money paid, the taxes paid, are just enormous.”
Those opposed to data centers cite rising electricity rates, substantial water use, and myriad environmental issues (heat, noise, emissions) as reasons for concern. According to Pew, the more Americans hear about data centers, the less likely they are to feel positive about them.
That matters in an election year. Trump isn’t on the ballot in November, but 36 states will hold midterm elections, creating a sort of national referendum on the issue.
The objections to data centers run across the political spectrum. In recent weeks, states including New York, Pennsylvania, and Texas have imposed restrictions on cloud and AI data center buildouts. Meanwhile Arizona, Illinois, Michigan, Oklahoma, South Dakota, and Virginia have either proposed or taken steps to slow down data center developers.
—AN
