Public acceptance of data centers in South Korea: Balancing digital Infrastructure expansion with Net-Zero transitions

As countries pursue net-zero emissions targets, data centers present a paradox: they are essential for digital transformation yet pose significant challenges to decarbonization due to their intensive energy consumption and carbon footprint. In South Korea, where aggressive climate commitments coincide with rapid digitalization, understanding public acceptance of data center infrastructure is critical for sustainable energy transitions.
This study examines social acceptance of data center construction through a nationwide survey (n≈1,000), employing contingent valuation methods (CVM) with discrete choice experiments to estimate residents' willingness-to-accept (WTA) compensation. We focus on risk perception related to environmental and health impacts, particularly invisible risks such as electromagnetic fields, thermal emissions, and their implications for local climate and wellbeing.
Critically, we investigate how waste heat recovery and community benefit-sharing—including district heating systems, public libraries, and recreational facilities—can transform data centers from energy burdens into integrated components of circular energy systems. This aligns with net-zero strategies that emphasize energy efficiency, waste heat utilization, and co-location with urban heating infrastructure.
By analyzing trade-offs between perceived environmental risks and tangible decarbonization benefits, this research provides empirical evidence for designing socially acceptable pathways to integrate digital infrastructure within net-zero energy systems, contributing to both climate mitigation goals and just energy transitions.