Rural Americans are more concerned than their urban and suburban counterparts about the effects of artificial intelligence data centers, particularly rising electricity costs and the loss of farmland, according to new research from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign and Purdue University.
The study, published in farmdoc daily, found electricity costs ranked as the top concern among respondents, with rural residents expressing the highest levels of worry. More than half of rural participants said they were “very worried” that expanding data centers would increase power bills.
Concerns over farmland conversion and water use also ranked above the survey midpoint. Researchers said AI data centers increasingly require large tracts of land, substantial electricity and significant water resources, making rural communities attractive locations. While such projects can generate tax revenue and temporary construction jobs, long-term employment benefits are often limited, according to research from the Brookings Institution.
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