Google says it can build data centers the right way. Some experts and residents are skeptical

If there's one thing most Americans can agree on, it's that they don't want a data center in their backyard. A Gallup survey conducted in March found that 71% of Americans opposed the construction of a data center in their local area. Chief among their concerns: energy usage. Half of Americans surveyed by Pew Research Center in July and August said data centers would be mostly bad for the environment and for household energy costs. Now Google is betting that a massive AI data center can help finance a cleaner, more reliable power grid. Its proposed deal with Xcel Energy would add more wind, solar and battery capacity than the data center is expected to use.