A new Heatmap Pro poll shows a rapid shift in public opinion since last fall.
‘The Most Bipartisan Issue Since Beer’: Opposition to Data Centers
Americans have soured on data centers, polls show, and the sentiment is profoundly bipartisan. How will that change our politics?
Americans Oppose AI Data Centers in Their Area
Seven in 10 Americans oppose the construction of an AI data center in their local area, including 48% strongly opposed.
The American People Really Hate Data Centers
There are at least five different core questions around data centers and their politics.
I think the data center backlash is mostly about data centers
It’s probably not your ideological thing, or mine. It’s about object-level claims about how data centers impact the communities where they’re built, many of which are wrong.
I think the data center backlash is mostly about data centers
It’s probably not your ideological thing, or mine. It’s about object-level claims about how data centers impact the communities where they’re built, many of which are wrong.
America's data center growth hot spots, mapped
Virginia and Texas lead the way, but they're becoming a major political fight.
US views of how data centers affect the environment, energy costs, jobs and more
A broad majority of Americans have heard about data centers – the often-sprawling computing facilities that are popping up nationwide. But the public has mixed opinions about data centers’ impact…
Data Center Watch
Free weekly updates on the political risks facing American data center projects
As tech companies race to build data centers, more communities are pushing back
Concerns about electricity bills and local impacts are fueling bipartisan opposition to the massive data centers that power the digital economy, from cloud services to AI chatbots. In Wisconsin, as in other states, the tussles are personal – and fraught.
Are AI data centers coming to your area?
This free, crowd-sourced tracker website is one of the most comprehensive attempts we’ve seen to keep tabs on where new data centers are being proposed. Maps are currently available across 18 states, with data compiled from public sources. You can read about the Data Center Proposal Tracker creator’s methodology here. [Image: Here’s a screenshot from the tracker showing sites around NYC. https://platform.theverge.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/04/Screenshot-2026-04-16-100907.jpg?quality=90&strip=all]
We mapped the world’s hottest data centers
In 21 countries, all data centers are located in climates that are too hot.
People Hate Datacenters, Survey Finds
The data drops as Sen. Bernie Sanders calls for a moratorium on datacenter construction. 'We need to take a deep breath. We need to make sure that AI and robotics work for all of us, not just a handful of billionaires.'
Rural America is resisting the surge in data center construction
Many rural communities are viscerally opposed to AI infrastructure.
Where Republicans and Democrats stand on AI data centers
Five charts exploring how Republicans and Democrats feel about AI data centers and what that might mean for the road ahead
US data centers’ energy use amid the artificial intelligence boom
Data centers accounted for 4% of total U.S. electricity use in 2024. Their energy demand is expected to more than double by 2030.
