Construction of a Meta data center on Feb. 2, 2026, in Beaver Dam, Wisconsin. Photo by Joe Timmerman/Wisconsin Watch via Getty Images.
There are now more than 3,000 data centers operational in the United States and more than 1,500 on the way, and the rate at which they’re being built isn’t stopping anytime soon. Data centers now make up 2.3% of total U.S. construction spending, and as artificial intelligence companies race to build even more warehouses for the servers that power large language models, Americans have noticed, and they’re not particularly happy. A Gallup poll released in May found that 7 in 10 Americans oppose a data center being built near them, with nearly half strongly opposed. These complaints aren’t partisan, with a plurality of Democrats, independents, and Republicans alike opposed to their local construction.