Women are leading the rebellion against AI data centers
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Environment & Climate
Americans overwhelmingly oppose data centers. Women most of all.
New polling shows women have stronger concerns than men over the implications of the massive and costly complexes used to power AI.
Protesters gather ahead of a on May 4 Box Elder County Commission meeting to decide whether to approve the construction of a large data center in Tremonton, Utah.
(Natalie Behring/Getty Images)
Jenae Barnes, Climate Reporter
Published
2026-05-22 05:00
5:00
May 22, 2026
am
America/Chicago
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As data centers rapidly emerge at unprecedented rates across the country, they are being met with increasing opposition — particularly from women, according to a recent Gallup poll.
More than two-thirds of adults oppose the construction of the massive and costly complexes used to power artificial intelligence, with a majority saying they’d prefer to have a nuclear power plant in their backyard instead. While women and men overwhelmingly expressed opposition, women did so more intensely. Out of 1,000 adults surveyed, 55 percent of women said they strongly oppose data centers, compared to 43 percent of men. In fact, men were more likely to favor data centers, citing their economic benefits and job opportunities.
Jeffrey Jones, a senior editor at Gallup and the study’s author, attributed the distinction to women having more empathy for public-facing issues like the environment and healthcare, and favoring Democratic policies that protect the environment. Resistance to data centers often focuses on the imposition of environmental and financial problems, like water scarcity, noise and air pollution, and excessive energy use that can result in higher utility bills and increased health complications for the low-income communities of color who live near where they are usually built.
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These women are running for a seat you’ve likely never heard of. It could dictate the cost of your electricity and gas bill.
“A lot of the opposition is based on environmental concerns about using too many resources, especially water,” Jones added. “Centers need a lot of water to cool the computing machines that they’re using. Land, electricity, and resources are the most common concerns people have.”
Gendered...