cross-posted from: https://piefed.world/c/tech/p/1122224/nuclear-power-plants-far-more-popular-than-ai-data-centers-for-local-areas
Seven in 10 Americans oppose constructing data centers for artificial intelligence in their local area, including nearly half, 48%, who are strongly opposed. Barely a quarter favor these projects, with 7% strongly in favor.
These results, from a March 2-18 Gallup survey, represent the first time Gallup has asked about data center construction, a topic that has met fierce opposition from local residents in many parts of the country. These data centers house computing equipment that helps power AI technology used by businesses, universities and other institutions. The centers cover large areas of land, require extensive amounts of electricity to operate and need substantial water to cool the equipment, raising concerns about their impact on the environment and local electric bills.
The data center question parallels the wording Gallup uses to ask about local nuclear power plant construction. In the same March survey, 53% of Americans say they oppose building a nuclear energy plant in their area, far less than the 71% opposed to data center construction. Since Gallup first asked the nuclear power plant question in 2001, the high point in opposition has been 63%.
It’s too late for Nuclear the drawbacks just don’t outweigh the benefits anymore, we should have gone nuclear 50 years ago, now it makes sense to go straight to renewables.
I’m not against nuclear but it just doesn’t make sense to build new nuclear China doesn’t have any of the excuses pro-nuclear blame (NIMBYs/OSHA/etc) yet they aren’t investing in nuclear.
The technology is sound and the drawbacks are massively overblown by the fossil fuel lobby. But Old style monolithic nuclear doesn’t make any economic sense in the modern world. The regulatory system in most western countries plus mechanical complexity doesn’t allow for it to be built in any reasonable timeframe.
SMR’s might make a decent dent in decentralized grid situations tbh. Otherwise it’s going to be everyone holding out for fusion to magically get its ass into gear.
Or y’know using renewable, China built/claims to have built 430 GW of renewables in 2025, solar can be deployed nearly anywhere and unlike SMR doesn’t produce nuclear waste that you somehow have to safely despose of from your remote off grid location