Americans more open to nuclear power plants than AI data centers: Echelon poll

More Americans are willing to have a nuclear power plant built in their community than an artificial intelligence data center, according to a poll from Echelon Insights.

The survey, conducted in June, asked respondents whether they would support or oppose various types of facilities being built in their communities, including an Amazon distribution center, a solar farm, a traditional manufacturing factory, and others. When asked about a “data center to power artificial intelligence,” just 27 percent said they would strongly or somewhat support its construction in their community, while 62 percent said they would oppose it.

When respondents were given arguments in favor of AI data centers, 58 percent still opposed such facilities.

By comparison, nuclear power plants received 34 percent support and 57 percent opposition. Nuclear power has historically faced public skepticism over concerns about safety, mainly due to rare regulatory failures such as Chornobyl. Nuclear advocates have increasingly pointed to the technology’s ability to produce large amounts of electricity without direct greenhouse gas emissions.  

AI data centers have faced a different set of concerns, including fears over environmental impact. The broader public debate over AI has also included concerns about job displacement, privacy, and how AI systems collect data, leading to skepticism on both sides of the political aisle.

According to a report by Axios on Wednesday, a leaked memo by the National Republican Senatorial Committee warned that the unpopularity of AI data centers could become a political liability. The memo specifically highlighted the Ohio Senate race, where democratic candidate Sherrod Brown has made opposition to data center development a major component of his campaign against Republican Senator John Husted. The memo noted that a Brown victory would indicate that data centers are a losing position, as Trump won the state by double digits just two years ago.

“If he loses and data centers get the blame, politicians across the country will take notice — and they will not go near the next one," the memo stated. "This has become a sleeper issue for the entire election cycle."

Some politicians who have supported data centers are appearing to dial back their endorsements amid growing unpopularity. Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro recently signed an executive order establishing “strict guardrails” for the development of data centers. This comes after he helped secure a $20 billion investment from Amazon for two data centers in the state last year.

"You know, I listened candidly," Shapiro told CBS Mornings. “I showed up in communities and heard the concerns of neighbors. I stood in the left-field line of Eddie Staback Park in Lackawanna County, Pennsylvania, and looked where a data center developer who was wreaking havoc on a community wanted to put their data center right where the parents would be sitting watching a ball game. I'm just about 7 miles away from a proposed project in a really densely populated area here in Montgomery County, where a developer is just thumbing his nose at the community, not listening to folks. These are not the kind of projects I want in Pennsylvania."