Most Americans say "not in my backyard" to AI data centers

Re:Most Americans say "not in my backyard" to AI data centers by grim_io on Wednesday July 22, 2026 @01:09PM (#49009998)

It's not about the heat radiating from the data center, it's about the noise generated trying to cool the beast.

The power usage is massive, and that's still a very much limited resource for which everyone competes for.

Adding to your edit: Would you feel the same about adding an AI data center on top of the iron casting foundry you already have to deal with?

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Re:Most Americans say "not in my backyard" to AI data centers by quickthrowman on Wednesday July 22, 2026 @01:58PM (#49010808)

You can buy chillers with enclosures that limit the sound to a reasonable volume, Google “chiller noise attenuation”. You can add walls around lots of chillers to further limit the noise.

If the data center follows the city statutes for noise levels at the property line that exist in my municipality, then sure, I’ll take the data center above the iron foundry.

> Power usage is massive

The utility can approve or deny the connection. Data centers in areas without any available power are not getting grid connections.

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