Why data centers are everywhere right now-- and why people hate them

Market Trends and Public Sentiment - Public opposition to local data center construction surged to 61% of Americans, increasing from 49% in March, with bipartisan resistance including 69% of Democrats and 54% of Republicans[1] - Political risk associated with data centers intensified, with internal polls comparing their popularity to spent nuclear waste and driving bipartisan political backlash across 38 states offering dedicated tax incentives[2][3][14] - Grassroots opposition expanded rapidly, as demonstrated by the Humans First organization sponsoring rallies across more than 40 states within a short timeframe[26] Industry Development and Infrastructure - United States data center expansion accelerated significantly, driven by the artificial intelligence boom, with nearly 3,000 new facilities under construction or planned to join the over 4,000 currently in operation[6][7] - Federal policy support under the administration facilitated regulatory approvals for federal land repurposing and easier construction to maintain competitiveness in artificial intelligence against China[15][18][19] Environmental Impact and Resource Consumption - Environmental concerns intensified as facilities such as an Elon Musk XAI data center in Mississippi faced lawsuits for operating unpermitted gas turbines that release smog-forming pollution, soot, and formaldehyde[8] - Energy demand for United States data centers was projected to nearly double between 2025 and 2028, equivalent to adding the energy consumption of Spain in 3 years, causing electricity costs in high-concentration areas to surge by as much as 267% compared to 5 years ago[9][10] - Water consumption for cooling reached up to 5 million gallons daily per facility (equivalent to over 16 thousand average United States households), with about two-thirds of facilities built since 2002 located in water-stressed regions[10][11] Economic Impact and Employment - Job creation metrics for operational facilities remained extremely low, averaging 150 workers per data center, with some locations employing as few as 25 or even 5 full-time staff[12][13] - Subsidies and tax breaks faced severe scrutiny, exemplified by a JPMorgan Chase data center in Rockland County, New York, receiving 77 million dollars in tax breaks while adding only 1 permanent job[13][14]