Overview
- Pew surveyed 8,512 U.S. adults in January, finding 39% say data centers are mostly bad for the environment, 38% for home energy costs, and 30% for nearby quality of life.
- Awareness is broad, with about three-quarters having heard at least a little about data centers, and views grow more negative with greater familiarity.
- Sen. Bernie Sanders called for a national pause on new facilities and said he will introduce legislation to impose a moratorium.
- President Trump announced a nonbinding pledge from Amazon, Google, Meta, Microsoft, OpenAI, Oracle, and xAI to keep energy costs down.
- Researchers and local cases question promised benefits, with a University of Michigan brief finding most jobs are short-lived and communities from Michigan to Mississippi fighting projects over noise, water use, and pollution.