Polls Consistently Show That Americans Are Opposed To Hyperscale AI Data Centers In Their Area

Currently, statistics from the Data Center Map show that Alabama has 23 hyperscale data centers currently in operation with a total of 21 more hyperscale data centers being planned for the State of Alabama. Bringing the total number of hyperscale data centers to 44 in Alabama, the Beautiful. With 25 of those hyperscale AI data centers being centered around the Birmingham area. The largest planned data center project in Alabama is the controversial, "Project Marvel" operated by QTS Data Centers in Bessemer. Which is estimated to span 4.5 million square feet across 18 buildings with a 1,200 megawatt capacity. Yet, nationwide polls consistently show that a majority of Americans are opposed to constructing a hyperscale AI data center in their community.

Politico, an American political digital media company that covers politics and policy in the United States, showed in their July poll that 41% of Americans oppose a hyperscale data center being built within 3 miles of where they live.

A Gallup poll that was recently released based on a March survey conduct by them shows that 7 out of 10 Americans oppose a hyperscale data center being built in their local area. With the Gallup poll further showing that majorities of all major demographic groups, including all party groups, say they would oppose having a data center built where they live. The Gallup poll also revealed that 55% of women register "strong opposition" to hyperscale data centers as opposed to 43% of men registering the same "strong opposition" to hyperscale data centers.

The Ipsos Consumer Tracker, which is a biweekly public opinion poll that has been tracking American attitudes on the economy, technology, and culture since April of 2020, found int her poll that was fielded on May 05th, 2026 though May 06th, 2026, that the majority of Americans would oppose having a data center in their community.

Even a poll that was published on July 27th, 2026 by Fox News, which is considered an American multinational conservative news and political commentary television channel, shows that 70% of Americans oppose building hyperscale data centers in there area to support Artificial Intelligence, compared to only 30% of American being in favor of the water guzzling and power draining entities. The Fox News poll also found that white women with a college degree are the demographic that are the most opposed to building hyperscale data centers in their area to support AI. With a staggering 84% of white women with a college degree being opposed to building hyperscale data centers in their area to support AI.

In Alabama, a poll conducted by Bham Now that was released in May of 2026 that polled Alabamians across all of their publications, such as The Bama Buzz, Hville Blast, Bham Now, Mobile Bay Now, and Montgomery UPI, found that of the 492 people who took their poll, 70% of their audience is in favor of regulating data centers or "are against them outright".

All of the nationwide polls showed that the main concern Americans have with regards to hyperscale data centers being constructed in their area are the environmental concerns. With those concerns being the massive amounts of electricity that the hyperscale data centers use to the point of straining the power grids, the enormous amounts of water used by the hyperscale data centers that in places have depleted the local water supplies, the air pollution caused by the high amounts of nitrogen oxides and fine particulate matters that the on-site diesel backup generators and gas turbines from the hyperscale data centers release, the light pollution from such entities, and the noise pollution produced by the hyperscale data centers that are in the decibels range that provokes hearing loss.

Luisa Reyes is a Tusca,oosa Attonrey, piano instructor, vocalist, poet, reporter, and columnist who writes on politics, current events, and the arts.