Widespread Concern About Data Centers' Use of Resources

The backlash against data centers isn’t limited to the United States. According to a recent survey from Statista Consumer Insights, concerns about the environmental impact of data centers are equally widespread in the UK and only slightly less common in Germany. In both the United States and the United Kingdom, roughly two in three respondents express concern over the massive electricity and water use required to run AI infrastructure. In the UK, 67 percent of adults surveyed said they are either very (30 percent) or somewhat concerned, matching the 66 percent recorded in the U.S., where 34 percent describe themselves as very concerned.

In Germany, concern is slightly less pronounced but still shared by a clear majority. 57 percent of German respondents worry about data centers' resource consumption, while almost a quarter (24 percent) remain neutral – the highest share among the three countries. Across all three markets, those who are unconcerned represent a small minority, ranging from just 10 percent in the UK to 12 percent in Germany. As tech giants accelerate their multibillion-dollar AI infrastructure buildouts, the soaring demand for power and cooling water is increasingly putting hyperscalers on a collision course with local communities, strained power grids, and climate targets on both sides of the Atlantic.