The backlash about data centers might really just be about electricity

The article argues that public backlash against AI data centers in the US is primarily driven by concerns about electricity consumption and grid strain, rather than abstract anxieties about corporate power as tech industry leaders claim. AI data centers require enormous power capacity—ranging from 300 megawatts for smaller facilities to 6,000 megawatts for ideal installations—forcing companies to either strain local grids or build their own natural gas and diesel power generation infrastructure near communities.

Source: MIT Technology Review