Addressing Public Concerns About Data Centers
September 25, 2026
Americans are growing more concerned about possible environmental and economic effects of data centers, and a majority would be “uncomfortable if a new data center started operating in their area,” the Pew Research Center reports. In Issues, Gretchen T. Goldman sees this as a perfect opportunity to test proposals to construct a new “environmental knowledge commons.” Online tools are now becoming available showing proposed and existing data centers overlayed with public air quality information, she writes. “With tools such as these, communities can share data and policy advocacy information, and the functionality of such a knowledge commons could be tested.”