Ohioans Among Americans Concerned About Data Center Boom

Americans are growing more concerned about the environmental impacts of artificial intelligence (AI) and the data centers that power it, according to a recent poll. This concern extends to the local effects these facilities could have on communities, including those in Ohio, which is identified as a top contender for new data center construction alongside states like Virginia, Texas, California, and New York.

The survey, conducted by The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research and the Energy Policy Institute at the University of Chicago between July 6-24, 2026, found that 53% of U.S. adults are "extremely" or "very" concerned about AI's environmental impacts, a notable increase from 41% just last year. While Democrats are driving much of this rise in environmental worry, the poll also highlighted broader concerns across the political spectrum regarding the local impacts of data centers.

About 6 in 10 Americans support limiting the number of new data centers that can be built, with support from most Democrats and Republicans. A majority of respondents also expressed significant concern about how data centers affect electricity prices and water supplies in the communities where they are located.

Data centers require tremendous amounts of electricity, especially larger facilities built for AI's processing needs. A Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory Report suggests that data centers could account for 11.8% of the U.S.' electricity consumption by 2030. Erik Nordman, director of Michigan State University’s Institute of Public Utilities, noted the scale of power infrastructure needed, describing it as comparable to that required for "entire cities, or in some cases, entire states just to serve one data center."

Water usage for cooling AI chips and computers is another key concern. While Cornell University energy systems engineer Fengqi You stated that data centers' national water use is "nationally modest but potentially locally decisive," a single large campus can still strain a smaller municipal area's water resources. Gedeon Kebede, a 21-year-old computer science student and Democrat from Cincinnati, Ohio, expressed worry that "a lot of water usage by AI data centers that’s taking away from other things like agriculture and farmers."

To address energy concerns, approximately two-thirds of U.S. adults support requiring data centers to use clean energy sources, such as wind or solar. This proposal garners strong support from Democrats (about 8 in 10) and a majority of Republicans (56%).

The shift in construction locations is also a factor. A Pew Research Center analysis from earlier this year indicates that while most existing data centers (87%) are in urban areas, the majority of new facilities are planned for rural areas. Nancy Antunes, a 60-year-old retired Democrat from Waltham, Massachusetts, voiced a common sentiment, believing that "decisions are being made for the company, not for the community" in which they are built.

Eriech Tapia, a 30-year-old Republican from Arlington, Virginia, acknowledged the value of data centers for U.S. competitiveness but also shared concerns about their electricity consumption. He observed a significant increase in data center construction during a recent trip, describing it as a "sea of dark industrial buildings."

Despite the widespread concerns, some Americans see benefits in data centers. About one-quarter of U.S. adults view them as "extremely" or "very" beneficial for technological advancement, and about 2 in 10 see similar benefits for job creation. Republicans are generally more likely than Democrats to perceive these benefits. Tapia, for instance, noted a "huge increase in the number of temporary construction workers" in areas with data center development.

However, even among Republicans, about 3 in 10 still believe data centers are "not very" or "not at all" beneficial for improved infrastructure and job creation. Michael Greenstone, who directs the University of Chicago institute that collaborated on the survey, summarized the sentiment, saying, "We’re undertaking a massive experiment in real time."

Mary Fisher, a 68-year-old retired Republican from Jacksonville, Florida, noted that data centers had not yet become a concern in her neighborhood, illustrating that the impact can feel distant for some. Nevertheless, the poll indicates a growing and bipartisan wariness about the rapid expansion of these facilities and their potential local and environmental footprints.