Germans back data center expansion but demand sustainable solutions, polls show

Broad support for digital infrastructure

60% of Germans consider the further expansion of data centers important or very important to strengthen the country's digital capacity and sovereignty, according to a YouGov survey commissioned by the Alliance for Strengthening Digital Infrastructure. Only 7% deem it unimportant. Half of respondents (50%) would welcome a data center in their own region, while just 11% oppose such a project.

The survey shows that people in Germany have understood how central data centers are for digital performance, artificial intelligence, cloud applications, digital administration, online banking, streaming and digital sovereignty.

Green demands run high

Yet a second YouGov survey, commissioned by Welt am Sonntag, reveals that 72% of Germans voice concrete concerns about new data center projects. The most frequently cited worries are rising electricity consumption, the potential impact on power prices, and water use for cooling. One quarter of respondents are also troubled by climate effects, the burden on local residents, and a growing dependence on large technology companies. Local protests have already erupted in the Hessian towns of Groß-Gerau and Maintal against planned data centers and their energy demands.

Political responses split

Digital Minister Karsten Wildberger (CDU) expressed understanding for public concerns and called for more public education.

I understand that people in the country are asking themselves how the expansion of data centers will affect them. We need to provide more education and make it clear that municipalities and the regional economy benefit from such settlements.

He said the US government's blocking of Anthropic's latest models reinforces the need to massively strengthen Germany's own capabilities.

Green MP Anna Lührmann, deputy chair of the parliamentary digital committee, demanded citizen involvement in planning.

If data centers overload local power grids, endanger groundwater or drive up energy prices, resistance will grow.

She called for a "smart expansion of computing power".

Skepticism uniform across generations

The Welt am Sonntag survey found that concern levels are consistent across age groups: exactly 72% of people under 30 and over 70 alike report worries about data center expansion. The pattern holds for AI-related job loss fears, with similar shares across all age groups despite younger people's greater exposure to artificial intelligence.