Environmental Concerns Grow as AI and Data Centers Expand
A new national AP poll finds rising concern about AI’s environmental footprint as data center growth increases demand for electricity, water, and local infrastructure.
- By Stasia DeMarco
- September 16, 2026
A growing share of Americans are concerned about the environmental impact of artificial intelligence as the rapid expansion of data centers increases demand for electricity and water, according to a new national poll.
The survey from The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research and the Energy Policy Institute at the University of Chicago found that 53% of U.S. adults are extremely or very concerned about AI’s environmental impacts, up from 41% last year.
The findings come as data center development accelerates across the country. Larger facilities built to support AI require significant amounts of electricity for computing operations and water for cooling, raising concerns about their effects on local utilities and infrastructure.
A majority of Americans surveyed said they are extremely or very concerned about data centers’ effects on electricity prices and local water supplies.
The poll also found that about 6 in 10 Americans support limiting the number of new data centers that can be built. About two-thirds support requiring data centers to use clean energy sources such as wind or solar.
Electricity demand remains a central concern. Data centers could account for nearly 12% of U.S. electricity consumption by 2030, according to a Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory estimate cited by the AP.
Water impacts can vary significantly by location. While data center water consumption remains relatively modest nationally, a large facility can place substantial additional demand on the water supply of a smaller community.
The AP-NORC survey included 3,424 U.S. adults and was conducted July 6-24. The margin of sampling error was plus or minus 2.2 percentage points.
