Americans love AI. They don't want the data centers that power it.
Executive Take
Local resistance, not federal policy, will decide where AI infrastructure actually gets built. Leaders siting data centers need community buy-in plans now, not after permits are filed.
Executive Summary
Over half of Americans used an AI chatbot in July, per Morning Consult, but 70% oppose data centers in their own community, per a May Gallup poll. Trump has pushed communities to accept data centers, calling opposition a path to being "backwards and poor," while Pennsylvania and Texas governors have tightened requirements amid local pushback.
Why It Matters
Technology and enterprise leaders planning data center or GCC-adjacent infrastructure investments face real siting risk from local political backlash, even in friendly states. This is a supply-side constraint on AI capacity that could slow enterprise AI rollout timelines.
Bizquad Perspective
The real risk for tech leaders isn't federal regulation, it's that local governments in both red and blue states are now killing permitted projects after approval, making site selection far less predictable than companies assume.