Public Misconceptions About AI Data Centers Spark Bipartisan Opposition

According to a recent Heatmap Pro poll, Americans are paradoxically more supportive of new coal power plants than of AI data centers, despite the latter being merely large computer warehouses. The survey links this sentiment to inflated fears about water consumption and electricity price hikes, which experts argue are minor compared with other industries. In Loudoun County, Virginia, the nation’s wealthiest zip code and a data-center hotspot, local taxes from these facilities are projected to bring in about $1.3 billion next year, covering roughly 40 % of the county’s revenue and enabling significant property-tax cuts.

One outlet highlighted these fiscal gains but also questioned the county’s reliance on such income. Both major parties have shown waning support for data-center construction, a shift the author attributes to technophobic media narratives, while noting that China appears to welcome the expansion. The piece warns that misinformation could lead to policy decisions that harm economic growth.