US President Donald Trump on August 11 urged communities across the country to embrace data centers, despite growing opposition from both parties over concerns about electricity and water consumption. In a social media post, Trump argued that China is pleased with the “anti-data center” movement in the US, as it would shift business to the world’s second-largest economy.
“The only reason communities across America shouldn’t want data centers is if they want to become obsolete and poor. If you want to be successful and wealthy, with lower taxes and jobs everywhere, let data dominate,” Trump wrote.
The number of data centers in the US is growing rapidly, partly to serve the increasing demand from artificial intelligence (AI). However, these facilities consume enormous amounts of electricity, raising concerns about grid overload, blackouts, and higher electricity bills. The Trump administration has supported voluntary commitments by tech companies to pay for the full cost of the energy they consume, but consumer advocacy groups are calling for stricter federal regulations.
Beyond electricity, environmental activists warn about the massive amounts of water used to cool servers at data centers, while many areas are experiencing drought. Some residents living near these facilities also complain about constant noise.
A Gallup survey in March showed that 71% of Americans oppose the construction of AI data centers in their local areas. The opposition has become so widespread that some Republican politicians, who typically support business interests, have begun to express caution.
Senator Mike Rogers, the Republican candidate in Michigan, recently supported a one-year pause on data center construction in the state. His opponent, Abdul El-Sayed, a Democrat, rejected that proposal and called for an indefinite moratorium until federal regulations require union job creation, guarantee no electricity bill increases, invest in the grid, and protect water resources.
Vice President JD Vance on August 11 also acknowledged some concerns about data centers but described them as a “critical part of the AI economy.” He suggested tech companies should build accompanying power plants: “If you build a data center, you should put power back into the grid, not take it away. If that happens, I don’t think data centers would be so controversial.”
