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Key Facts About U.S. Data Centers

Evidence type
Survey
Sources
1 sourceJournalism
Published
3 min read
Truvace record
TRV-2026-2632cite or check it

Data centers are expanding fast to power AI, and public backlash is growing. Here are some key facts on their locations, energy use and Americans' views.

Key Facts About U.S. Data Centers
Stanford Research Computing Facility (SRCF) at sunrise on SLAC campus (SRCF-data-center-CC) by Olivier Bonin/SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory. CC BY 4.0 · https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0

The problem

Pew surveys show the share of U.S. adults calling data centers mostly bad for the environment rose from 39% in January 2026 to 54% in August, and for home energy costs from 38% to 50%, as data center electricity use climbed from 108 TWh in 2020 to 183 TWh in 2024.

In brief

Pew Research Center's roundup of its data center analyses finds the buildout meeting growing resistance. In the 2026 midterms, people in at least 38 U.S. jurisdictions voted to limit or ban data centers. Between January and August 2026, the share of adults calling them mostly bad for the environment rose from 39% to 54%, and for home energy costs from 38% to 50%.

The U.S. had more than 3,000 operational data centers as of February 2026, with at least 1,500 more in development. Two-thirds of planned facilities are in rural areas and 39% are in counties without one, so the buildout is reaching new communities. About 42% of U.S. adults lived within 5 miles of an existing or planned site.

Electricity demand is a central driver of the concern. U.S. data centers used 108 TWh in 2020 and 183 TWh in 2024, and that figure is projected to reach 426 TWh in 2030. That projection is a forecast, not a measured result.

Main points

  1. Six-in-ten U.S. adults said in summer 2026 they would be not too or not at all comfortable with a new data center in their area; only 7% would be extremely or very comfortable.
  2. In a fall 2026 survey, 58% of adults said they dislike political leaders who support local data centers, versus 9% who like them.
  3. Virginia leads with 398 operating and 287 planned data centers, followed by Texas with 296 operating and 170 planned.
  4. In a March survey, about two-thirds of those who said home energy costs had risen named data centers' energy use as a major or minor reason; 85% blamed utilities seeking more profit.
  5. Views on local jobs and tax revenue were more mixed, with 21% to 24% calling data centers mostly good and a similar share mostly bad.
  6. In 2024 U.S. data centers took more than 4% of national electricity; in 2023 the share was about 26% in Virginia and 15% in North Dakota.
  7. Majorities of urban, suburban and rural Americans said they would be uncomfortable with a new local data center.

The full story

The count comes from Data Center Map as of Feb. 19, 2026: more than 3,000 operational facilities and at least 1,500 in development. Of existing sites, 87% are in urban areas and 89% are within 5 miles of another. Virginia has 685 in total, Texas 466 and California 331, and Loudoun County is known as Data Center Alley.

Opinion has soured quickly across several areas. Between January and August 2026, the share saying data centers are mostly bad for people's quality of life nearby rose from 30% to 49%, for local jobs from 15% to 24% and for local tax revenue from 12% to 21%. People living near a data center and those who do not held similar views.

Both parties lean negative. In the summer survey, 68% of Democrats and 54% of Republicans said they would be uncomfortable with a new local data center, and in the fall 69% of Democrats and 49% of Republicans disliked leaders who support building one.

According to International Energy Agency data cited by Pew, U.S. data centers used 183 TWh in 2024, more than Asia Pacific at 150 TWh or Europe at 68 TWh. The U.S. and China together accounted for 69% of global data center electricity use.

Sources

1 on file
  1. Pew Research Centerpewresearch.org
    Journalism2026-11-11

Talk it over

Three questions to start on, two more if you have timePew found 54% of adults calling data centers mostly bad for the environment in August, up from 39% in January 2026. What might explain a shift that fast, and what would you want to know first?

Start with a question

Key Facts About U.S. Data Centershttps://truvace.com/item/key-facts-about-u-s-data-centers

  1. Pew found 54% of adults calling data centers mostly bad for the environment in August, up from 39% in January 2026. What might explain a shift that fast, and what would you want to know first?

    Answer in the thread

  2. Two-thirds of planned facilities are in rural areas and 39% are in counties without one. How might people in those counties weigh local jobs and tax revenue against electricity use and home energy costs?

    Answer in the thread

  3. If you sat on a local board in one of the 38 jurisdictions where people voted to limit or ban data centers, what would you do with a new proposal?

    Answer in the thread
If you have more time

  • Look up whether a data center is operating or planned near a place you know. Which of the Pew findings, on energy costs, jobs or tax revenue, would matter most there?

    Answer in the thread

  • In the March survey, about two-thirds named data centers' energy use as a reason for higher home energy costs, while 85% blamed utilities seeking more profit. What data would help sort out which reason fits a given town?

    Answer in the thread

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