Datacenter NIMBY beats nuclear

A May 2026 Gallup poll finds 71% of Americans oppose an AI datacenter being built near them—higher opposition than to nuclear plants (53%). Opposition centers on resource concerns (water and grid stress), utility‑bill and traffic impacts, and skepticism about AI job and safety effects, despite proponents citing jobs and tax revenue. — If local resistance to datacenters remains this strong, the physical capacity needed for AI growth will bump up against entrenched local politics and infrastructure limits, forcing tradeoffs in regulation, siting, and national AI strategy.