Most Americans Are Concerned With The Environmental Impact Of AI, Poll Shows. Democrats Worry The Most.

As artificial intelligence continues to reshape the global conversation, a growing number of Americans are expressing concern about the technology's environmental costs, according to a new poll. However, concern seems to be mostly divided by partisan lines.

The Associated Press-NORC survey found that 53% of U.S. adults are now "extremely" or "very" concerned about the environmental impact of artificial intelligence, a significant increase from 41% who expressed such concerns last year.

Companies keep racing to build new AI infrastructure across the U.S. and the world. Thousands of data centers already operate across the United States, with major concentrations in Virginia and Texas, while additional projects are planned in states including California, Ohio and New York.

The environmental debate surrounding AI has focused largely on electricity consumption, water usage and the potential strain on local communities. A United Nations University report has warned that the environmental footprint of data centers could expand rapidly as AI adoption increases.

The AP-NORC poll found that concern about AI's environmental impact has risen most sharply among Democrats. About two-thirds of Democrats said they were extremely or very concerned about AI's environmental consequences, compared with about half of independents and roughly four in 10 Republicans.

Still, concerns about data centers themselves appear to cross party lines. About six in 10 Americans support limiting the number of new data centers that can be built, according to the survey. Many respondents expressed concern about the effects these facilities could have on electricity costs and local water supplies.

Data centers require significant amounts of electricity to operate and cooling systems that can consume water. While experts note that data centers represent a relatively small share of national water consumption, individual facilities can create challenges for communities where resources are limited.

Electricity demand is another major concern. A Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory report projected that data centers could account for nearly 12% of U.S. electricity consumption by 2030 as artificial intelligence workloads grow.

The poll found broad support for requiring data centers to use cleaner energy sources. About two-thirds of Americans said they support requiring facilities to use renewable energy sources such as wind and solar to meet their electricity needs. Support was higher among Democrats, with about eight in 10 backing such requirements, while 56% of Republicans also supported the idea.

However, not all Americans view the expansion of data centers negatively. Some respondents highlighted potential economic and technological benefits, including construction jobs and improved digital infrastructure.

About one-quarter of U.S. adults said data centers are extremely or very beneficial for technological advancement, while about two in 10 said they provide significant benefits for job creation. Republicans were more likely than Democrats to emphasize those potential advantages. Tapia said he has noticed an increase in temporary construction jobs connected to data center projects, which he views as economically important.

The AP-NORC survey included 3,424 U.S. adults interviewed from July 6-24, 2026. The poll has a margin of sampling error of plus or minus 2.2 percentage points for all respondents.