70% of Americans Oppose Local Data Centers as New Jersey Residents Demand Transparency
Updated
Updated · Vox.com · May 16
70% of Americans Oppose Local Data Centers as New Jersey Residents Demand Transparency
3 articles · Updated · Vox.com · May 16
Gallup found 70% of Americans oppose a data center in their area, including 48% strongly opposed, with resistance up 18 points from March.
Vineland, New Jersey, residents said the sharpest grievance was not just AI or aesthetics but being left out before construction began, with town hall attendees saying none had been informed in advance.
Residents tied the project to rising electricity bills, falling home-sale prospects and loss of farmland, while also voicing broader anxiety about AI’s spread and weak government oversight.
More than 4,000 data centers have already been built nationwide and over 2,000 are under construction, pushing the issue into national politics even as Washington remains divided on regulation.
As states rebel against data centers, is America's AI dominance at risk?
Who truly pays the price when a massive AI data center becomes your new neighbor?