Americans reject data centers

Gallup found that seventy-one percent of Americans oppose building data centers that support AI in their communities. The backlash is bipartisan, with majorities of Democrats, Republicans, and independents opposed to local construction.

Texas governor hits the brakes

Even in Texas, where data center development has been booming, Republican Gov. Greg Abbott directed state regulators in September to halt permits for data centers pending audits examining their effects on the power grid and…

Industry hires PR experts

Data center companies are employing experts like Nicole Thomas, senior vice president of media and community engagement at JSA, a marketing and public relations firm, to smooth the way for projects facing public opposition.

The shift happened two years ago

Thomas came to the data center industry four and a half years ago from state transportation. She noticed the shift about two years ago when mainstream journalists started asking questions about data centers.

Data centers were once invisible

Twenty-one years ago, data centers were treated like warehouse infrastructure. Developers would request a zoning permit, the zoning board would approve it, and construction would proceed. The industry was secretive due to cybersecurity implications.

Public concerns about data centers

Americans worry about how much water and electricity data centers consume, the noise they generate, the sprawling buildings they bring to communities, and the AI technology they power that may replace jobs or cause harm.

Education is the answer

Thomas argues that education is crucial. Most people do not understand what data centers are or how they connect to their daily lives through phones, apps, passwords, and stored information.

Data centers power everyday life

Every app on a cellphone requires a data center to save information. When users enter passwords, they interact with data centers that verify access. Email and digital infrastructure depend entirely on data centers.

Data centers are already everywhere

Nondescript data centers have operated quietly in neighborhoods for decades without residents knowing. Thomas questions how many people opposing data centers actually live near one without realizing it.

AI backlash fuels data center opposition

Thomas believes pushback on data centers is related to pushback on AI, because people cannot control AI but can push back on the physical manifestation of it. Sam Altman has said AI will destroy society.

“Sam Altman telling us that AI will destroy society”

Thomas takes her own industry to task

A hyperscaler recently came to Thomas's city in Indiana with horrible community engagement. Though she works in data center PR, she took them to task for being basically non-existent in their community engagement.

“their community engagement was basically non-existent”

Responsible development is the goal

When asked which side she is on, Thomas says she is on the side of responsible development. She distinguishes between small, medium, and large data centers and their different power requirements.

“I'm on the side of responsible development”

Some communities welcome data centers

When projects face pushback, some communities hold one-on-one meetings where residents ask questions.After answers are provided, some communities accept the project.Other communities raise their hands saying they will take one or two data centers.

Communities may regret rejecting them

Thomas predicts that communities rejecting data centers may later regret the decision. In five, six, or eight years, they may see neighboring counties with substantial tax dollars and amenities from data centers and wish they…

Education campaign will take years

Thomas counsels her clients that the industry could still be working to help Americans understand data center benefits in three to five years.