Americans would rather have a nuclear plant in their backyard than a datacenter
www.theregister.com

... The majority of Americans are now opposed to datacenters being built in their area, many strongly opposed, pointing to tough times ahead for site developers.

A Gallup survey found more than 70 percent of respondents indicate they would be against the construction of an AI datacenter in their neighboorhood, with almost half (48 percent) saying they were strongly opposed. Only 27 percent were in favor.

The polling shows how quickly AI server farms have become politically toxic in the US, not helped by stories about their effects on energy bills, slurping up water supplies, and creating air and noise pollution in their vicinity.

To highlight this, Gallup found that more US residents are opposed to massive data halls than to having a nuclear power plant in their backyard: 53 percent of Americans oppose building a nuclear energy site nearby, compared with the 71 percent against datacenter construction. ...