71% of Americans Oppose AI Data Centers Near Their Homes, 18 Points Higher Than Opposition to Nuclear Plants

October 27: Sampson published an analysis stating that total electricity consumption by data centers in China and the U.S. is similar, but U.S. communities show stronger resistance to AI data center construction. Data from Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory cited by the U.S. Department of Energy shows that U.S. data centers consumed about 176 TWh of electricity in 2023, accounting for 4.4% of national electricity use; China's National Energy Administration disclosed that the country's computing power centers consumed about 170 TWh in 2025, accounting for 1.6% of national electricity use. A March Gallup survey in the U.S. showed that 71% of respondents opposed building AI data centers locally, higher than the 53% who opposed building nuclear power plants locally. Respondents' main concerns were resource consumption, environmental impact, quality of life and utility bills. Newton County, Georgia, previously saw a dispute over water supply pressure, with the local mayor expecting water bills to rise 33% over the next two years. The author believes that as AI infrastructure continues to expand, community opposition and supporting costs such as water and electricity could become important factors constraining project construction.